The chants, the flags, the hymns, and the unmistakable sea of red and blue told their own story. The 2025 Pacific Championships weren’t just a series of rugby league matches; they were a statement of identity. And that identity is changing the sport forever.
As Radio New Zealand recently put it, “The jerseys might be red or blue, green and gold, or black and white — but rugby league’s future is decidedly brown.”
Across stadiums in Auckland, Brisbane, and Sydney the sound of Pacific pride echoed louder than any whistle. Samoa’s resurgence and Tonga’s passion — together, they’ve pushed the game into a new cultural era.
And it’s now clearer than ever: the National Rugby League no longer needs time to “consider” expansion. It needs to act; and it needs to fast-track the Mana Pasifika bid.
After Samoa’s stirring run in the Pacific Championships, captain Junior Paulo summed up what the movement means in a recent interview with Nick Campton of abc.net.au.
“This means everything. This is where we belong. This is home.”
“It doesn’t matter if you’re one per cent Samoan or full, you are from Samoa, and we love our people.”
Those weren’t empty words. They were a declaration from one of the sport’s most respected figures and they reflect a deeper truth: for Pacific and Māori players, these matches are about far more than footy.
Teammate Blaize Talagi, part of the next generation of Pasifika stars, echoed that sentiment with Brad Walter from nrl.com.
“It means everything, not just for me personally but being able to see the reaction of my family and my country, Samoa, has been awesome.”
NRL Premiership winner and FETU SAMOA head coach Jamie Soward has spoken about the massive opportunity ahead for Mana Pasifika following the success of the 2025 Pacific Championships. The Australian Indigenous star also highlighted the importance of culture in rugby league, saying:
“I love the fact that another team coming into the NRL with strong ties to Polynesian and Indigenous culture is getting a chance on the big stage.”
Players are no longer just representing where they play their club football — they’re representing who they are.
The Mana Pasifika bid proposes a team built from this very spirit — a club that embodies the cultures and connections that already dominate the modern game.
Between Australia, New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga, and Cook Islands nearly half of all NRL players have Pasifika or Māori heritage. The fan base is already there.
The success of the Pacific Championships shows the appetite runs deep. Crowds were loud, colourful, and proud; TV ratings were strong across both hemispheres.
As one commentator noted in the RNZ feature, “Rugby league’s centre of gravity is shifting. The power base now lives in the Pacific.”
The NRL has long debated expansion - weighing up Brisbane bids, Perth possibilities, even a return to Adelaide. But none come with the same cultural weight or player-pathway benefits as Mana Pasifika.
A Pacific-rooted team would strengthen development links across New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga, The Cook Islands and Niue, while offering a genuine identity for the diaspora living in Australia and New Zealand.
Māori and Pasifika communities have carried the NRL’s soul for decades — from Benji Marshall to Jason Taumalolo, from Ruben Wiki to Payne Haas.
A Mana Pasifika franchise would finally give that identity its own jersey.
The NRL can’t afford to lose the moment. Every Pacific tournament, every packed stadium,
every kid wearing a Samoa or Tonga jersey at school is proof that the tide has already turned.
The Pacific nations have shown they can match anyone, creating one of the most exciting global sporting products. That opportunity shouldn’t come in 2030, or “at some stage in the future.”
It should come now, by officially welcoming Mana Pasifika into the NRL. Because the future of rugby league isn’t coming.
It’s already here. And it’s proudly, powerfully Pacific.
