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'New levels': Pacific to reap rewards from MCG NFL game
Sebastian Tan, AAP • September 8th, 2026 6:00 pm
After a stellar NFL season, Puka Nacua is looking to help grow the game in the Pacific | Photo: PR IMAGE
Star receiver Puka Nacua believes the NFL's first regular-season game in Australia will help usher in the next generation of Pacific stars, despite the increasing presence of rugby league and rugby union in the region.
Nacua and his Los Angeles Rams will face the San Francisco 49ers at the MCG on Friday in what will be a historic moment for gridiron in Australia.
But despite the match being hosted down under, Nacua sees the clash as an opportunity to connect with the Pacific community.
"For kids from the Pacific Islands and from areas that don't play American football to have the opportunity to see that ... (can help them) chase new levels," the 25-year-old told AAP.
"The opportunities are very limited, and there are few chances to continue to be able to play this game, given how physically demanding it is.
"The game is growing. I know that the rules and the values that have been a part of this game of football are closely aligned to those of the Polynesian culture."
Puka Nacua has ties to Samoa through his grandmother and visited the country last year | Photo: Joanna Kordina/AAP
Raised in Utah, Nacua has a mix of Samoan, Hawaiian and European heritage, as his grandmother was born in the Pacific island nation before moving to the US.
The wide receiver visited his remaining family in Samoa last year while also working with community organisations to promote health as well as visiting a local school.
"I know some of my mum's family lives out there, and they're planning on coming to the game," Nacua said.
"I feel like sport, especially the game of football, has always meant family, a brotherhood, sacrifice, and things that connect very deeply to me and the culture that I was raised in.
Puka Nacua (right) is hoping to have family in the stands at the MCG for the historic match | Photo: PR IMAGE
"It just killed last year as we got the chance to play in London, and I think everybody (family) was like, 'Man, we wish we came out to this one'.
"I'm definitely going to make sure that my mum gets a chance to come out to Australia."
The growth of gridiron in the Pacific has hit a historic peak with a record five Polynesian players receiving first round picks in the 2026 NFL draft.
It comes despite the growth of rugby league in the area, which is set to expand with the Australian government spending $250 million to progress the sport in Tonga, Samoa, Fiji and PNG as part of a broader $600 million cash splash to establish the PNG Chiefs.
The government is helping set up the PNG Chiefs, who signed stars like Jarome Luai and Brian To'o | Photo: Susie Dodds/AAP
Rugby Australia is also looking to grow the game in the region by injecting part of the federal government's $90 million, which was allocated for next year's World Cup.
Regardless, the NFL continues to attract players of Pacific Island descent to the game, including Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (Samoa), Detroit's offensive tackle Penei Sewell (American Samoa) and Denver safety Talanoa Hufanga (Tonga).
Sydney-born offensive tackle Jordan Mailata, who won the Super Bowl with Philadelphia in 2025, is also of Samoan descent
But perhaps the best Pacific footballer last season was Nacua, as he was a finalist for the league's offensive player of the year award after he racked up a mammoth 153 receptions along with 2047 yards.
The influx of players comes as the league is developing up-and-coming talent from the Asia-Pacific region at the NFL academy on the Gold Coast.
There's a deal in place to host at least two regular-season games at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) between 2026 and 2029, with an option for a third, while other Australian cities have also flagged their interest.
