Tana Umaga has bolstered his Moana Pasifika staff with a pair of former internationals turned coaches.
Former Manu Samoa midfielder and coach Seilala Mapusua has joined the Super Rugby Pacific club as backs and skills coach, while NZ Sevens rep and Wellington Lions coach Alando Soakai will take over defence duties.
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After guiding Wellington to the National Provincial Championship (NPC) title last month, Soakai has been given his first Super Rugby assignment.
It marks the start of a new journey for the 41-year-old who enjoyed a highly decorated playing career that included stints with the Highlanders and All Blacks Sevens, before he moved into coaching less than 10 years ago.
“I’ve really enjoyed my time with Wellington over the last two seasons but I’m also really excited about the challenge of coaching in Super Rugby with Moana Pasifika,” Soakai said.
“It will be a huge honour to coach in that competition with a team that means so much to my proud Tongan family and the wider Pacific region.”
Soakai and Mapusua join an illustrious coaching group that consists of Umaga (head coach), Stephen Jones (backs coach), Tom Coventry (forwards coach) and Pauliasi Manu (scrum coach).
“Alando is an awesome addition to our staff,” said Umaga. “He brings a different perspective given his successful experiences overseas in Japan and recently with Wellington. This is coupled with a real passion for our people which really stood out for me.
“The way he has worked away at his craft has really impressed me and I’m looking forward to what he will bring to the Moana team.”
Born in Auckland to Tongan parents, Soakai attended Auckland Grammar before moving to Dunedin to study at the University of Otago.
The openside flanker made his first class rugby debut while on loan to Southland in 2004, before playing for Otago from 2005 to 2010.
He played over 50 games for the Highlanders between 2007-2011 and represented the Junior All Blacks alongside players such as Israel Dagg, Hosea Gear, Sione Lauaki and Victor Vito.
In 2006 he won a Commonwealth Games gold medal with the All Blacks Sevens in Melbourne, alongside the likes of Cory Jane, Liam Messam and Tamati Ellison.
In 2011, Soakai joined Kubota Spears in Japan spending the next 12 years at the club as both a player and a coach.
As an assistant under head coach Frans Ludeke, Soakai mentored a number of the world’s top players including Duane Vermeulen, Malcom Marx, Bernard Foley and Ryan Crotty. His time there culminated with the Kubota Spears claiming their first ever League One Championship in 2022-23 season.
In 2022 he also coached the Japan National Development Squad, before coming back to New Zealand to take up a job as an assistant with the Wellington Lions a year later.
Mapusua played 26 tests for Manu Samoa and was part of the team that famously defeated Australia 32-23 in 2011.
The 44-year-old also coached Manu Samoa for four years, which included the 2023 Rugby World Cup. He has has coached several current Moana Pasifika players with Samoa, including James Lay, Sama Malolo, Jonathan Taumateine and Miracle Fai’ilagi.
“There’s a feeling of home and familiarity, and a real excitement around being able to contribute to the continued growth of Pacific rugby,” Mapusua said.
“What Fa’alogo (Tana) is creating here is pretty awesome and I’m really looking forward to contributing to that. Everything about the direction that Moana is heading speaks to me as a Samoan, as a Pacific Islander and as a rugby coach."
Umaga said: “Vaovasamanaia is a tremendous addition to our team. I’ve had the privilege of working with him during my time with Manu Samoa and I’m looking forward to now working with him in Super Rugby.”
“His rugby knowledge and attention to detail will be of huge benefit to the players and the team. He also leads with action and his commitment and pride in serving our Pasifika people is second to none.
"He’s someone that a lot of people in our organisation respect, so it’s great to have him on board."
Mapusua was born in Moto’otua, Samoa and grew up in Wellington, attending Wesley College in Auckland.
From 2002-2006, he played for the Highlanders before spending 10 years overseas in England and Japan. He made 126 appearances for the London Irish, 31 appearances for the Kubota Spears and 25 for the Kamaishi Seawaves.
“They’ve got world-class coaches at Moana Pasifika. I’m really looking forward to learning from Fa’alogo and TC (Tom Coventry), and having a guy like Stephen Jones in there with a totally unique perspective from the other coaches just adds to the mix,” Mapusua added.
“Then having a guy like Alando Soakai come in off the back of what he’s been doing in Wellington is exciting.”