Moana Pasifika coach Aaron Mauger. Photo / Photosport
There was little to smile about for outgoing coach Aaron Mauger as Moana Pasifika fell to a 12th straight defeat in Christchurch on Friday.
But when determining his future with the struggling team, a smile the Cantabrian saw the following day was more influential than any result.
“I went home on Saturday morning and I was able to race over to Lyttelton, which is the ground I played my first game of rugby on as a four-year-old kid, to watch my youngest boy play,” Mauger said after confirming this season would be his last at Moana Pasifika.
“The look on his face, the delight when he saw Dad rock up two minutes before kickoff, was such a special feeling. And that’s what I’ve been missing out on.”
Mauger followed that morning’s viewing with some hockey and more rugby in the afternoon, and proximity to his four children — along with a bit of fishing — was what he was most anticipating about an imminent break from coaching.
Having taken charge of Moana Pasifika ahead of their inaugural campaign, Mauger is cutting short his three-year contract with his team languishing in last on the Super Rugby ladder. But he insisted that results played no part in his decision and described the spirit in the squad as strong.
“You’ve got to celebrate the small wins, otherwise you go insane when you lose 12 games in a row,” he said. “It’s really important for us that it’s not all about the scoreboard; it’s about highlighting the growth along the way. So many of our players have come such a long way from when I first met them 18 months ago.
“I love this team, I love what the club’s all about and what we’re trying to achieve here, and it’s been such a special privilege to be part of it. There’s so much awesome stuff that’s going on here and I’m sure the club will be successful in the future.
“But as I said to the team this morning, my time is really precious and I have a wife and four children down in the South Island who have allowed me the time to come and be a part of this journey and to help establish a good foundation.”
That foundation, Mauger hopes, will move even further from his home. Moana Pasifika have battled to attract crowds to Mt Smart Stadium and, although he acknowledged that much work would be needed, the departing coach believed that hosting more games in the Pacific Islands was essential.
“That’s definitely the plan,” he said. “The trip to Apia [in April] when we played the Reds was just awesome. That was really the vision, the purpose coming to life. So I’d love to see more games played up there. It’s about building the foundation and infrastructure.”
Developing a support base and greater connection with the islands would also assist in what Mauger saw as another key to the franchise’s sustainability.
“That’s the beauty of Moana Pasifika — it’s created the pathway for young men to come and play Super Rugby and realise they’re actually not that far away,” he said. “When they get to 19, 20, 21 years old and they’re polished pros and good to go, that will definitely help Moana Pasifika’s future.”
Mauger was optimistic about that future, pointing out the Crusaders franchise where he won four titles finished last in their inaugural season. As for his own future, even with a massive coaching upheaval coming to the Kiwi sides, don’t expect to see Mauger back on the sidelines soon.
“I think I would find it tough going at this stage to think about coaching another Super Rugby team based on where my heart sits with Moana Pasifika.”