Many people have worked for many years to build the vision for Moana Pasifika. Our board are all highly respected individuals who stand on the shoulders of all who have gone before, to build towards our future successes
Born in New Zealand to parents born in Samoa and Rarotonga, Sir Bryan has had a long and highly respected career as All Black, lawyer, coach and administrator, including governance roles with the Pacific Island Youth Leadership, the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame and the New Zealand Rugby Foundation. He is also a former President of the New Zealand Rugby Union and a Life Member of the Ponsonby District RFC.
His international rugby career lasted from 1970 to 1978 in which he played 113 matches (including 38 international Tests) and scored 66 tries in all matches as an All Black In addition to his playing success, Sir Bryan has been a highly regarded and successful coach at a club, 1st XV, provincial and national level, including coaching Manu Samoa. He is a Life Member of the Auckland Rugby Union, and a Life Member and Patron of the New Zealand Barbarians Rugby Club.
In 2013, Sir Bryan was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to rugby. He was promoted to Knight Companion in 2018 and inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame.
He has been a champion and advocate for Pasifika rugby and people throughout his life and brings many years of leadership, management and governance experience to the table. Sir Bryan is a great communicator and influencer, building long lasting relationships and enabling teams to perform at their best.
La’auli Savae Sir Michael Jones has a wealth of public and private sector experience having worked and served in tertiary education and Pacific economic and social development both in Aotearoa and across the region. He is an advocate for, and champion of, Pasifika by Pasifika solutions and services.
Sir Michael is passionate about building Pasifika leadership, capability and capacity to be the ‘head and not the tail’. He also passionately believes in the role sport, and rugby in particular, plays in empowering and transforming individuals and communities. Much of his time is spent in developing and deploying initiatives and programmes that ensure young people realise and fulfil their potential, and in leading community empowerment and change.
He holds a number of senior leadership and governance roles in a cross section of private and public organisations nationally, regionally and at grassroots. In 2003, he was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame recognising his considerable commitment and achievements in rugby as an All Black and as a coach and player for Samoa. In 2017, he was invested as a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the Pacific community and Youth in NZ.
Debbie is a New Zealand-born Tongan, with family connections to Leimatu’a in Vava’u and Tongaleleka in Ha’apai. She is a health leader, international development practitioner, health strategist and management expert specialising in projects that address the health challenges that face Pacific communities in New Zealand and in the Pacific region. She is the current Chief Executive for the Pasifika Medical Association and the Pacific Whanau Ora Commissioning Agency – Pasifika Futures which has engaged over 202,000 Pacific people in Aotearoa through its partner network of over 60 partners.
Debbie has led the establishment of the Moana Pasifika Women’s Network, the Pasifika Medical Association Education Fund and the Health Science STEM Academy at Otahuhu College. She is sought after as an international speaker, including at the UN Gender Equality Forum in 2021. She also attended the Harvard Women’s Leadership Summit and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government Strategic Leadership for the 21st Century.
In 2015 Debbie was invested as a Commander Royal Order Crown of Tonga, by His Majesty King Tupou VI in recognition of her services to the people of Tonga.
Debbie’s association with sport began in her teenage years when she became the first female Rugby League referee in New Zealand in 1976. This included refereeing a curtain raiser match in Papua New Guinea prior to their national competition final. She has supported schoolboy rugby through her sons playing both high school and junior club rugby and has been an active supporter of Toa Samoa and New Zealand Kiwis.
Debbie was also the chairperson of the fundraising committee for the Tonga Rugby campaign for the Rugby World Cup in 2011. Debbie is passionate about the opportunities that Rugby and sport provides for young men and women.
‘Aminiasi Kefu is a Crown prosecutor at the Office of the Manukau Crown Solicitor, Kayes Fletcher Walker (KFW). Before joining KFW in June 2019, he worked in the Attorney General’s Office of Tonga for 22 years after being admitted to the New Zealand bar in 1997. In 1998 he spent 6 months secondment with the Office of the Auckland Crown Solicitor, Meredith Connell. ‘Aminiasi is an alumni of Tonga High School and Nelson College, and is a law graduate from Waikato University, and also holds post-graduate degrees from Victoria University of Wellington (LLM) and Massey University (GDPSM). ‘Aminiasi is a Senior Counsel in Tonga, and was a New Zealand Prime Minister’s Fellow in 2009.
‘Aminiasi was Honorary Solicitor for the Tonga Rugby Football Union (TRFU) from 2000 to 2009, before being appointed as a director of the Tonga Rugby Union Authority (TRUA) in 2010 to 2012, the statutory body established to take over rugby administration in Tonga for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. After TRUA transferred the administration of rugby to the Tonga Rugby Union (TRU) in 2012, ‘Aminiasi continued as World Rugby Observer to the TRU from 2012 to 2018. ‘Aminiasi was also chairman of the Oceania Rugby Judicial Committee from 2012 to 2019. ‘Aminiasi is part of the panel of the New Zealand rugby judiciary for the Bunnings NPC and Farah Palmer Cups.
