By fending off the efforts of Super Rugby team Moana Pasifika to keep former All Black blindside flanker Vaea Fifita on staff, the Scarlets have pulled off a huge coup.
Head coach of Moana Pasifika Fa’alogo Tana Umaga intended to lure 32-year-old Fifita away from South Wales this summer in an attempt to replicate the recruitment of All Blacks vice-captain Ardie Savea.
Fifita was hired by the Scarlets two years ago when they went out of business, and he had won the Super Rugby title with Hurricanes. Scarlets coach Dwayne Peel had been pushing hard to hang onto Fifita.
Fifita, who was previously linked to a transfer to Montpellier earlier in the year, has made 34 appearances in his two seasons with the Scarlets and is now expected to stay for at least the next two, according to Wales Online.
Fifita, who was sent off against Scotland in the World Cup last year, played two games for his home Tonga before transferring to the All Blacks and winning eleven appearances.
It is a setback for the Moana Pasifika, who were hoping to capitalize on the Scarlets slashing their playing budget by £700,000 so they could play with a £4.5 million pay cap for the upcoming season.
While working under such limits for the next season, Peel has done a commendable job of keeping hold of big guns Fifita, Tongan lock Sam Lousi, Scotland second-row Alex Craig, and Wales centre Johnny Williams.
Furthermore, Peel said earlier this year that he anticipated difficulty in hanging on to his big stars, who would want between 10% and 15% of his whole playing budget.
“You must make every effort to manage that money so that you can assemble a team with the necessary depth and caliber. We can’t compete with those large money contracts since we don’t have the funds,” he remarked.
