It really takes a lot to get Paula Latu talking.
The quiet, soft spoken prop keeps to himself, and would rather let his playing do the talking.
As he simply puts it, “give me the rugby ball and I’ll show you.”
When you ask him about Moana Pasifika however, Latu’s not one to stay silent when he talks about the side and what they mean to him.
After being signed up by Moana this year, he made his debut with the side in their clash against the Highlanders. Reflecting on his debut, Latu says it was quite an indescribable feeling.
“My first time playing for Moana Pasifika was a different type of feeling,” Latu says.
“I know it wasn’t just myself that I was carrying but it was also the people of the Pacific. My family, my village, who I grew up with. It was overwhelming.”
After featuring in Tonga’s RWC 2023 squad, he also had a stint in Wales before making his way down to the Southland Stags for the ITM Cup.
Outside of rugby, Latu speaks fluent Spanish. A skill he learned when serving his mission for his LDS church in El Salvador and Guatemala.
Having been to different parts of the world, he admits that no other experience tops being part of Moana, a team that resonates well with his upbringing through his cultural and christian values.
“They help me a lot with my confidence in the game. In our Pacific culture, we help one another by sharing your knowledge.
“When I am struggling with something whether it’s rugby or not, they help me straight away instead of judging,” the 30 year old stated.
“Moana Pasifika is a team that brings the whole of the Pacific together, where we get to know more of our culture and why we play this sport.”
Last week, Moana Pasifika released a statement saying that the side will no longer be continuing on in Super Rugby at the end of the 2026 season as confirmed by owners PMA (Pacific Medical Association) Group.
Speaking to Tagata Pasifika, CEO Debbie Sorensen said that although it was a tough decision to make, their first instinct was the welfare of their players.
“The first thing really was to deal with our staff and players and make sure they heard the news directly from us and not a newspaper article or something else. It’s a really difficult time, so there is a lot of emotion. People are worried about their future and our staff are worried about what comes next,” Sorensen said.
In regards to the future of the club, Sorensen said there are some positives with a few organisations and people showing interest in taking over the franchise, but as yet there’s nothing concrete.
“I think all cards are on the table. We’re equally happy for someone else to take over the franchise for the next part of the journey. We are committed to any opportunity that will move the franchise forward to its next stage of development.”
The decision for Moana to disband by the end of the season has also caught the attention of former players, who have chimed in on the future of the club.
Former All black Lima Sopoaga said that “SANZAR, NZ Rugby, World Rugby every governing body that can do something to save this team needs to do something.
“It’s not just a professional team, it’s a pathway for boys from the Pacific, from Samoa, from Tonga, from Fiji and beyond.”
For Latu, the outside noises and speculation do not worry him. All he is focused on is to perform well in their next few fixtures and to represent the Moana jersey proudly.
“We’re going to finish this season with a bang and ignore all the outside noise. We will show the world and the pacific that we mean business.”
Moana Pasifika face the Highlanders this Sunday in Christchurch for the Super Rugby Super Round.
