COVENTRY Rugby have confirmed the departure of last season’s leading points scorer Pat Pellegrini to Super Rugby franchise Moana Pasifika.
The Tonga international joins the recently-launched New Zealand-based franchise after Moana bought the fly-half out of the second year of his contract with Coventry.
He made 39 appearances for Cov across two seasons and finished the 2023/24 campaign as the leading points scorer in English rugby’s second tier.
Pellegrini said: “Coventry is a great club and I’ve had two brilliant years there.
“The club has been massive in my development. Going into a full-time situation with them will make this next transition into top-level rugby 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.”
Coventry head coach Alex Rae added: “We’re obviously sorry to see Pat move on but also pleased for him and wish him every success.
“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.”
The 25-year-old joins a squad of players with Pacific Island heritage at Moana’s Auckland base.
He made the Championship’s team of the season last year and also won Coventry’s supporters’ club player of the year award.
