The pace and intensity of play might be higher, but new Moana Pasifika recruit Miracle Fai’ilagi says rugby with the Auckland-based club feels a lot like it did at home in Samoa.
Faith is ubiquitous, so lotu (prayer) and pese (song) are inherent parts of sport in the islands. They’re integral parts of life at Moana Pasifika too, and for Fai’ilagi it helped him feel part of the team and at home, even after leaving his family for the first time.
“It was pretty hard to accept that, leaving them behind,” said the 23-year-old loose forward from Vailele and Uafato, the first Super Rugby player picked directly from Samoa.
“But you know, you’ve got to
