Moana Leilua (Harington 1996) never considered a career in rugby, let alone helping shape the off-field lives of some of the game’s most high-profile players. Today, she holds a dual leadership role with the Rugby Players’ Association of Australia, working across cultural leadership and player development for the Wallabies. It is a role grounded in service, wellbeing, and representation.

Moana arrived at St Paul’s Collegiate School for her final year, coming from an all-girls public high school. The transition to a co-educational senior school was confronting. Academically, she knew she was behind where she needed to be. Socially, the contrast between her background and that of many of her peers was stark.

“I came from a low socio-economic background,” she says. “Being surrounded by so many guys, with such different life experiences, was a real contrast. But it prepared me for what was ahead.”

“If it wasn’t for that time, I wouldn’t have pursued what I pursued,” Moana says. “That one year changed my trajectory.”

She attended St Paul’s as a day student, living locally in Fairfield, but was welcomed into boarding when she needed to stay. That flexibility, she says, mattered. More importantly, so did the people.

Two teachers in particular left a lasting imprint. “Dr Kay Etheredge spoke volumes,” Moana says. “She was our housemistress and biology teacher, and she really took me under her wing.”

Moana was candid about where she was academically, and Dr Etheredge responded with action. “There was a difference between where I should have been and where I was,” she says. “Dr Etheredge provided tutorials and extras to help me catch up. She was willing to give me time.”

That willingness, Moana says, changed everything.

“She was genuinely interested in how I fitted in,” she says. “If it wasn’t for that, I wouldn’t have a degree in biology. That’s how much of an influence Dr Etheredge had on me.”

Another teacher, Mr Shaw, also played a key role. “Even though those weren’t my strongest subjects, he was willing to give me time,” Moana says. “They were both a massive influence.”

Moana’s place at St Paul’s was made possible through a Pasifika scholarship linked to Achievers magazine, an initiative that aimed to open doors for Pasifika students. Moana says St Paul’s became the place where opportunity translated into belief.

“It really did help me pivot,” she says. “I’ve landed in a sector I genuinely love and enjoy.”

Sport was part of Moana’s life at school, but not yet a career path. She played netball at St Paul’s and later moved into rugby while at university. Even then, she never imagined rugby would become her profession.

“I hung up my boots in 2014,” she says. “At the time, no women were paid to play rugby. It was unheard of.”

Her transition into rugby management came unexpectedly, beginning with an opportunity to manage a men’s sevens team in Counties Manukau. That role evolved into a full-time position as team manager for Counties Manukau Rugby from 2016 to 2019.

“That was the first time that both a woman and a Pasifika person had been in that role,” she says. “I’ve had a habit of being the first,” she says. “First woman to come in and manage. First Pasifika person. It was tough. I needed to do really good work.” It was not the last time Moana would find herself going first. 

Moana has had some overlap with the women’s rugby. While she managed the NZ Black Ferns Development XV, she worked alongside Whitney Hansen, the current coach of the Black Ferns. “It’s great to see the women I worked with doing really well,” she says.

Five years ago, Moana joined the staff of Rugby Players’ Association of Australia. Today, she holds a dual role: National Cultural Leadership Manager and Player Development Manager for the Wallabies. Her work spans education, wellbeing, family connection, and life after rugby. 

“Rugby is what they do, not who they are,” she says. “Injuries can come tomorrow.”

Supporting players holistically is central to her role. “We have six pillars that we frame our programme around: Financial Management, Wellbeing, Personal Toolkit, Cultural Awareness, Integrity & Obligations.”

Education is another aspect. “More than half of the Wallabies are studying or doing a short course,” she says. “That’s an area I am passionate about supporting them with.”

Moana’s cultural leadership work has become increasingly important in the Australian context. Pasifika and Maaori players make up a significant proportion of elite rugby athletes, yet staffing structures do not always reflect that diversity.

“My role is to help close that gap,” she says. “To provide tools so staff can better support the athletes, and empower the players to embrace their cultural heritage, and the added value that it brings within a high-performance environment.

The contrast between Australia and New Zealand has been eye-opening. She says, ‘In Australia, rugby is largely played in private schools. If you’re not in that system, you don’t get exposed to it. That’s very different from New Zealand, where most, if not all, schools have a rugby programme.”

Family, Moana says, is where her values come to life most clearly. “A big part of my role is bringing parents and partners together,” she says. “That family piece comes naturally to me.”

She does not have children of her own, but she speaks warmly of nieces and nephews, and of the players she works alongside. “They’ve become like my nephews,” she says. “I take my hat off to them.”

She is candid about the pressures players face beyond the field. “A lot of people only see the 80 minutes on TV,” she says. “It hurts when there’s ridicule in the media. We help put protections around them and support them.”

For Moana, the work is deeply personal. “To me, it’s more than a job,” she says. “It’s a calling.”

Alongside her work with the Players’ Association, Moana remains involved in Pasifika rugby initiatives across Oceania, including women’s wellbeing programmes. She also chairs a sports collective called Pasifika SiS (Sisters In Sport), which is based in Auckland. 

“Sport has afforded me a lot of opportunities,” she says. “It can for others too. Giving back to women in sport really matters to me.”

Her impact ripples far beyond the field.

When asked what advice she would give her younger self, Moana doesn’t hesitate.

“Seize opportunities as they come,” she says. “If I wasn’t brave and courageous enough to just do it, I would have missed out.”

She adds, “Don’t steer away from your core values. Maintain a good circle around you. I know who I am and who I belong to.”

Sharing her story now feels significant. “Accolades will come, but maybe not in the way you expect,” she says. “It might be through giving back – like now, sharing this story. It feels like a full-circle moment.”