Tonga's World Cup star lands Super contract

TRANSFER NEWS: Tonga flyhalf Pat Pellegrini has opted to pursue his career with Super Rugby Pacific franchise Moana Pasifika.

The franchise has bought the flyhalf out of the second year of his Coventry contract to be part of their squad for the 2025 Super Rugby season.

Pellegrini, who won Tongan caps at last year’s World Cup and scored a memorable try against world champions South Africa, joins a squad of players with Pacific Island heritage at Moana Pasifika’s Auckland base.

The 25-year-old Sydney-born no.10 has enjoyed two outstanding seasons at the Butts Park Arena during which he played 39 times for Cov.

He finished the 2023/24 campaign as leading points scorer in English’s second tier, was selected alongside halfback partner Will Chudley in the Championship team-of-the-season and received the Coventry Rugby Supporters’ Club player-of-the-year award.

Coventry head coach Alex Rae wished Pellegrini well and thanked him for his efforts since moving to English rugby’s second tier from then level five club Sevenoaks.

“We’re obviously sorry to see Pat move on but also pleased for him and wish him every success,” he said.

“Having one of our players recruited by a Super Rugby franchise also says plenty about the rugby programme we run.

“In the last six months we have seen three players who joined us from student or lower league rugby make the move to the Premiership and now Super Rugby and we are very proud of that.

“We will all enjoy following Pat’s career and hope to see plenty of him in both Super Rugby and with Tonga in future World Cups.

“He has performed brilliantly for us and we very much hope he visits the BPA whenever he returns to England in the future.”

Pellegrini said the opportunity to play in the Southern Hemisphere’s leading competition and to put himself in the eye of Tonga’s selectors was too good to miss.

He then went on to pay tribute to Coventry’s coaches, players and supporters who he said played a huge role in his development over the last two seasons.

“Coventry is a great club and I’ve had two brilliant years there,” he said.

“The club has been massive in my development. The experience of going fulltime with them will make this next transition into top-level much easier.

“The environment created by the coaching staff at Cov is outstanding and with everyone pushing each other you get better every day.

“The Championship is a really good stepping-stone into top-level rugby. It is a league crammed full of talent and playing with and against players of that standard week-in, week-out has really helped me develop.

“I have to give a massive thank-you to everyone that has helped me over the last two years and especially to the fans for their incredible support.”

so much more than just a game. ✊🏾🩵 pic.twitter.com/wqFwWsXhJI

— Moana Pasifika Rugby (@MoanaPasifika_) July 23, 2024