Prop Luni Moananu played over 200 Premier matches for Poneke.

Following a short battle with bowel cancer, Luni Moananu passed away in November 2015. 

During his career, Poneke won the Swindale Shield once, in 2002, and won two Jubilee Cups, in 1996 and 2003, and appeared in seven of 12 Jubilee Cup finals between 1999-2010 and six of 11 contested at Westpac Stadium between 2000 and 2010. Along with his brothers, Toto (as a winger/fullback) and Misipalauni (second five-eighth/looseforward), Luni (tighthead prop) played in the winning 2003 side, which beat Marist St. Pat's 26-22 in the final.

The Moananu brothers, out of Wellington College, have variously played representative rugby for four different provinces. Toto played for the Lions in 1995, 1997 and 1998 and Luni in 1998. All have also played for the Wellington Bs. Both P (2002-2004) and Luni (2002) played for the Horowhenua-Kapiti NPC side, whilst Luni also had a season with Marlborough. In one of his first games for the Lions, Luni propped against Kevin Barrett, father of Hurricane and All Black, Beauden Barrett. His performance in that game played some part in Luni spending a season Taranaki with games for the Taranaki Development XV before he returned to Poneke.

The brothers have each spent time overseas with Luni playing in Hong Kong, and P spending the 2001/02 Northern season playing in Scotland. P also joined up with Toto for a short stint in Cambridge in England.

Luni also toured the UK and Canada with the NZ Youth team in the late nineties, along with fellow Poneke and Lions player, Evan Belford. His selection for the NZ touring side followed consecutive trials for the NZ U19s and the NZ Colts, and previous representative honours with the Wellington Secondary Schools, Wellington U19s and the Wellington Colts.