The war between Super Rugby hopefuls Kanaloa Pasifika and New Zealand Rugby has ramped up, with more explosive claims made to Newshub.
The fledgling franchise has served legal notice, giving NZR two weeks from Thursday to withdraw and retract support for Moana Pasifika, a rival Pacific Island bid.
"We are taking this seriously," says Kanaloa Pasifika chief executive Tracy Atiga. "They have 14 days to respond - if not, we will go to the High Court."
As Newshub reported last week, the bid process has drawn widespread condemnation.
"Let's hope they do, because at the end of the day, we asked for a fair process," says Atiga. "Although they say they went through a fair process, everybody knows it wasn't fair."
Pacific Rugby Players Welfare chief executive Dan Leo told Newshub last week, that the NZ Rugby Players Association was heavily involved in the set-up of Moana Pasifika, and the subsequent decision to select them as NZR's preferred partner was a major conflict of interest.
Late Friday, NZ Rugby confirmed it would continue to work with the Fiji Rugby Union and Moana Pasifika as preferred Pacific Island partners for 2022 and beyond.
"New Zealand Rugby has been consistent in its desire to include a Pasifika team in future professional rugby competitions," says NZR professional rugby & performance general manager Chris Lendrum.
"We are thrilled to be taking these next steps with Fiji and Moana Pasifika.
"We are now focused on working with these organisations, the relevant national unions and other partners on the optimal models for the establishment of new teams to ensure they have every chance of success.
"There is a lot of work to do for both parties, but we are excited by the potential to continue explorations together."
This week, NZ Rugby further signalled its preference for Moana Pasifika by scheduling a fixture against the Māori All Blacks next month.
"At the heart of this - and if you put it in the context of rugby - it's like they have cheated," says Atiga.
"Moana Pasifika didn't put in a bid, we did. We went through the whole process and we came out the other end.
"Why would you get rid of us and give it to someone else that didn't participate. It's pretty simple really."
"The issue came when they used that same steering group - which NZ Rugby and the NZ players association helped set up - to actually take on the Super Rugby venture.
"To me, it screams control and power, and NZ Rugby isn't ready to let go of that power to a Pasifika entity like us."
Atiga isn't too worried about the next 14 days and feels the organisation is already achieving what they set out to achieve.
"For us, we have already raised enough issues to change how NZ Rugby looks at this.
"NZRPA has stepped back and Pacific Player Association has come forward into that space of leadership, so we already feel we are achieving what we set out to achieve.
"Pasifika needs to lead, this is our space. We don't need any other organisations telling us how to lead."
The Kanaloa Pasifika CEO believes there are signs things are already changing.
"The fact we put in a legal bid, we meet all the conditions and we were told we were still not good enough, and the only alternative was to put in your own team, your own people...
"I think we are already winning," Atiga says.
