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Hawai’i state Senator Glenn Wakai has questioned claims made by Kanaloa Rugby regarding their bid to enter a team in Major League Rugby for the 2021 season. The franchise recently passed the initial stage of full membership and was granted a 90-day negotiating period to secure MLR board approval.
Speaking to Hawai’i News Now, Sen. Wakai says that to his knowledge there are no agreements in place with several key local authorities.
“They had mentioned in their announcement four relationships: one with the Hawai’i Tourism Authority who’s never heard of them; the Stadium Authority, never talked to them; the University of Hawai’i which denied them their practice facilities; and for Hawaiian Airlines they said they had a sponsorship agreement. Hawaiian Airlines has no sponsorship agreement with these folks.
“They’ve got less than a year to put this together. The fact that they haven’t actually contacted the Stadium Authority is very concerning to me.”
Kanaloa Team Manager Cam Kilgour has appeared on multiple podcasts in recent weeks discussing their plans. In those episodes he makes clear references to discussions with the above organizations. Sen. Wakai’s statement appears to directly refute those made by Kilgour on the MLR Rant Podcast.
“Aloha Stadium has been very, very supportive of us. They want us to be the professional sports team that plays out of Aloha Stadium.”
Eyebrows have been raised in recent days following statements by Kanaloa CEO Tracy Atiga that the organization was also pursuing a Super Rugby franchise, with some questioning their priorities given that their MLR bid has yet to be fully admitted. Atiga confirmed interest in Super Rugby on Tagata Pasifika with host Marama T-Pole earlier this month.
“We’re in conversions with New Zealand Rugby at the moment. We’d love to have a spot in the Super [Rugby] next year. We’re ready for it. We’ve proven that we’re ready for this.”
Sen. Wakai’s comments are certainly a blow to public confidence that Kanaloa will be able to complete requirements to achieve full MLR ratification for 2021. There remains time for the agreements to be put in place but the clock is now ticking for the organization to appease the Senator’s concerns.
