The weird and wonderful history of forgotten rugby clubs as Waratahs brace for angry Moana reaction

When rumours began circulating in the run to the finals last year that Moana Pasifika's future was clouded, it was tough to comprehend.

Here was a team who'd beaten the Crusaders in Christchurch, put away their neighbours the Blues and beaten the Waratahs by plenty.

Their 2025 season saw them fall just five competition points short of a first ever finals appearance.

Watch the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season with every match streaming live and on demand on the home of rugby, Stan Sport

But 2026 has proven a tougher time without strike players Ardie Savea and Kyren Taumoefolau, and following a hot start in Fiji it's been tough sledding.

Sadly, those exit rumblings behind the scenes became a roar and this week Moana announced that this would be their last year.

Putting the tournament to the side for a moment, there's a huge amount of anxiety, uncertainty and sadness now facing the families of the players and staff and it's awful knowing they have to go through it.

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'A year in the life and death of the Melbourne Rebels' - authored by respected rugby writer Geoff Parkes - gave an unprecedented, behind the scenes look at what it is for a club to fold and it's brutal.

Unfortunately, Moana now become the sixth team in the last nine years to be cut from the competition.

COVID forced the separation of the remaining South African teams form the tournament, however there were franchises bulleted from Super Rugby before corona brought the globe to its knees. Here's a look at those who've come and gone inside the last decade.

SOUTHERN KINGS

Where to start with the Kings from Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

They made their Super Rugby debut in 2013 in a year that saw them beat the Rebels in Melbourne, draw with the Brumbies in Canberra but also lose 72-10 at home to the Waratahs.

Then, the Kings were gone again after losing promotion/relegation to the Lions over in South Africa.

Unbelievably, the men from PE were gifted a return to the tournament in 2016 despite their struggles in their inaugural year.

Unsurprisingly, it all ended in tears and the Kings were flicked after the 2017 season.

For all their struggles, the Kings did unearth Makazole Mapimpi whose subsequent journey to becoming a World Cup winner would reduce most to tears.

CHEETAHS

Arriving in 2006, the Cheetahs were a mainstay of the competition and their home games became appointment viewing for Aussie rugby degenerates and desperados at 3am on a Sunday morning.

Always happy to have a crack at altitude, they'd generally try and run visiting teams off the park.

They had some star players across the years too with, Juan Smith, Adriaan Strauss and Heinrich Brussouw et al wearing the white and orange. Sadly, the big cats were culled in 2017.

SUNWOLVES

The Sunwolves, or, 'Moon Dogs' as they were also known, brought a unique element to the tournament from their base in Tokyo, Japan.

A mixture of Super players looking for a fresh start and talented locals, the Sunwolves entered the tournament in 2016.

Home games in Tokyo brought huge crowds and a surreal match day experience while their few games each year in Singapore brought empty stands and a forgettable spectacle.

While their record of 68 games for just eight wins wasn't ideal, they did famously beat the Waratahs on a Friday night in Newcastle.

Importantly, the Sunwolves gave the game a huge imprint in Japan ahead of the 2019 Rugby World Cup where a number of the 'Moon Doggies' starred for the national team.

The Tokyo outfit eventually fell following the COVID reset.

JAGUARES

Easily the best performed of those clubs who've been jettisoned from the tournament, the Jaguares became a nightmare opposition, particularly in Argentina.

With a squad full of players who are now dominating at Test level, the Jaguares became grand finalists in just four short years.

It took the Crusaders in Christchurch to deny them in 2019 but then in a cruel twist, the arrival of COVID saw them exit the competition for good. The Jaguares brought plenty to Super Rugby and would likely still be a part of the competition if it wasn't for the pandemic.

MELBOURNE REBELS

As mentioned earlier, there's a whole book which details the derailment of the Rebels. The club's arrival in 2011 was awesome.

They took on the Waratahs in front of 25,000 at AAMI Park with Wallabies legend Stirling Mortlock leading out Sam Cordingley, Cooper Vuna and Nick Phipps.

What played out across the next 15 years was a wild mix of up and down results, courtroom dramas and off-field mishaps that earned the attention of British tabloids.

The Rebels had Danny Cipriani, they had the 'Bungy Boys,' and almost real-time coverage on Twitter of a bust up on the team bus in South Africa.

Ironically, the club's best season in Super Rugby was their last, with the Rebels folding in 2024. The exit was an acrimonious one with more headlines still likely.

So, onto Friday night and it'll be interesting to see the response from Tana Umaga's men vs the Waratahs.

Moana have had plenty of success the last couple of years against NSW, downing them at the SFS thanks to a Christian Lealiifano try in 2024 and proving far too good in North Harbour last year.

It's been a year of shocks and upsets and there's a sneaky feeling Moana may be up to add to that list.

Catch Waratahs vs Moana Pasifika live and on demand exclusively on Stan Sport from 7pm Friday AEST.