Hip-hop star and proud Samoan King Kapisi jumps on board to drive Mana Pasifika NRL bid forward

The year 2026 could prove to be a landmark for rugby league in the Pacific, with the organisation behind the Auckland-based bid to establish a Polynesian owned club in the NRL set to step up their campaign.

With a fresh round of TV rights negotiations set to begin in 2027, the Mana Pasifika bid team believe they can play a key role in helping the NRL to secure a bigger deal, if they are granted a licence.

On the field, they say they have a big name coach ready to go, and connections with a raft of Pasifika players who would be keen to be part of their squad.

And now New Zealand’s hip-hop icon, King Kapisi, has come on board, to promote the bid which he views as the start of a cultural movement to celebrate and solidify the Pacific’s role in rugby league’s future.