Another All Black re-signs for 2023 World Cup

Photosport/John Davidson/INPHOJager has been with the Crusaders for the past seven years. Irish Abroad The 28-year-old had been chasing All Blacks caps but is now set to pursue Ireland honours. MUNSTER ARE UNDERSTOOD to be closing in on the signing of tighthead prop Oli Jager, who has been playing with the Crusaders in New Zealand since 2017. The…

The Blues, of course, still have not won a full Super Rugby competition since 2003, after MacDonald flamed out in the semifinal and final, respectively, in his final two years in charge, before cutting loose to join Scott Robertson's national setup. Far from being discouraged, Cotter is upbeat by a largely established group he takes over that…

The All Blacks are not used to being labelled underdogs but before the 2023 Rugby World Cup even kicked off New Zealand were being written off by some. Ireland, France and South Africa were all tipped to lift the Webb Ellis trophy ahead of them and yet the sport's most famous team have quietly been shifting through the gears in the last month. With…

This is shaping as a World Cup at which the biggest men with the least glamorous roles are going to finally be cast as the greatest assets in the game. This is going to be a scrummaging World Cup. A tournament where the dark art will have a major role in determining who wins and a tournament that makes household names of the big men in the…

The Queensland Rugby Union (QRU) is proud to announce former All Blacks Alex Hodgman and Jeffery Toomaga-Allen have signed with the Queensland Reds through 2025. The pair bring more than 250 games of experience across Super Rugby, Premiership Rugby and the United Rugby Championship to the Reds squad, while both have represented New Zealand at Test…

Waikato-based Chiefs Samisoni Taukei'aho, Brodie Retallick, Tupou Vaa'i, Sam Cane, Luke Jacobson, Damian McKenzie, Anton Lienert-Brown and Emoni Narawa, as well as Samipeni Finau and Brad Weber as injury cover, were named this week in the All Blacks squad of 18 forwards and 15 backs to contest the Rugby World Cup in France. Gallagher Chiefs head…

All Blacks selectors Ian Foster, Jason Ryan and Joe Schmidt have named the All Blacks squad for Rugby World Cup 2023 in France. The squad was announced by former All Blacks captain Richie McCaw in Napier this afternoon in front almost 2000 locals who were impacted by cyclone Gabrielle, as well as first responders.

All Blacks selectors Ian Foster, Jason Ryan and Joe Schmidt have named the All Blacks squad for Rugby World Cup 2023 in France. The squad was announced by former All Blacks captain Richie McCaw in Napier this afternoon in front almost 2000 locals who were impacted by cyclone Gabrielle, as well as first responders. The squad features 18 forwards and…

With the All Blacks first test of the year on the horizon, Christopher Reive looks at the Super Rugby Pacific form of the squad. 36. Fletcher Newell - prop, Crusaders We've seen Newell isa strong talent and is not intimidated by the test arena. He has, however, played minimal footy this season, so comes into the Rugby Championship with no recent…

There was once a time when the All Blacks confronting Los Pumas held few fears. Not so, anymore. Such a landscape shifted on its axis in 2020 as the Pumas stunned the All Blacks for the first time in Sydney. Three years later, on a typically cold Christchurch winter's night, the Pumas proved that was no fluke, recording their maiden victory against…

Eight of those, including Willison, have been called up for the first time and make up nearly a third of the squad named on Wednesday at Hamilton Girls' High School. There was a special applause for Black Ferns co-captain Kennedy Simon, who lifted last year's Rugby World Cup trophy at Eden Park after a memorable tournament. She also attended the…

Following the completion of the Super Rugby Pacific round-robin phase, Planet Rugby delves into the players who have shone the brightest this season. Probably the standout player in 2023 having returned to New Zealand following a stint in Japan. Handed the fly-half shirt at the start of the campaign, the 28-year-old has been key to their…

A new era for the Rugby World Cup winning Black Ferns is underway with the first squad named today ahead of their opening Test for the Pacific Four Series and O'Reilly Cup against Australia in Brisbane later this month. Black Ferns Director of Rugby Allan Bunting has named 30 players in the squad to compete abroad in Brisbane and Ottawa, before…

New Zealand's rugby took a'back-to-the-future' trip in 2022, something highlighted by the Rugby Almanack of New Zealand editors in their annual traverse of all matters rugby. After three seasons of turmoil caused by Covid-19, there were elements of rugby getting back into complete action, the only areas suffering as a result of the Covid hangover…

The Blues and Crusaders headline this weekend's action when they do battle at Eden Park on Saturday night in a repeat of last year's decider. That June night of course saw the hosts fall at their final hurdle in a 21-7 defeat which had the red and blacks take out a sixth-straight crown. The defending champions go into this one, however, with a…

All Blacks and Blues centre Rieko Ioane has poured cold water on speculation he will depart for Japan after the World Cup. A report from Australia emerged on Friday suggesting the 25-year-old 59-test midfielder wouldjoin the Ricoh Black Rams after this year's World Cup. Ioane is off contract with New Zealand Rugby this year but after the Chiefs…

The All Blacks 2022 season will be remembered as a turbulent time for the men in black, after a rocky start almost culminated in the sacking of head coach Ian Foster. Coming off the back of losses to Ireland and France last year, the All Blacks lost a home series to Ireland 2-1, before dropping the first test to South Africa in Mbombela. Hopes of…

The All Blacks 2022 season will be remembered as a turbulent time for the the men in black after a rocky start that almost culminated in the sacking of head coach Ian Foster. Coming off the back of losses to Ireland and France last year, the All Blacks lost a home series to Ireland 2-1 before dropping the first test to South Africa in…

The bulk of the Rugby Championship squad has been retained as the All Blacks set their sights on the Northern Tour whilst a number of players from the Ireland series have returned to the squad. Props Nepo Laulala and Ofa Tuungafasi along with winger Leicester Fainga'anuku return to Foster's squad after missing The Rugby Championship following the…

Weeks don't come much bigger for the All Blacks. With his back firmly pressed against the wall, All Blacks captain Sam Cane likened Saturday's tense third Test decider in Wellington to a World Cup knockout match. Indeed. The palpable public tension, and widespread coaching criticism, conspires to conjure a defining moment in time for this…

Lineen played for the Scots from 1989 and 1992, sharing in their 1990 Five Nations grand slam. There has since been a continuous Kiwi influence in the Five Nations/Six Nations since 1994. This year's tournament kicks off this weekend, with seven New Zealand-born players and two Kiwi head coaches involved. Some - notably French prop Uini Atonio -…

The All Blacks selectors, Head Coach Ian Foster, Assistant Head Coach John Plumtree and former All Black Grant Fox, have named their squad for the 2021 edition of the Rugby Championship. The 36-strong squad is as follows: (Age, Sky Super Rugby club, provincial union and Test caps in brackets.

Havili, who hasn't represented his country since starting at fullback against a French XV in Lyon in mid-November 2017, has emerged as a leading contender to glue the All Blacks' midfield together for the three tests against Tonga and Fiji next month. When All Blacks coach Ian Foster names up to 36 players in his first squad of the year on Monday…

All Blacks arrive in Australia to empty airports and a somber atmosphere. Video / All Blacks Following the birth of his second child, All Blacks No 8 Ardie Savea has remained in New Zealand while the rest of the squad have travelled to Australia in preparation for next weekend's Bledisloe Cup clash. Savea has started both of the All Blacks' tests…

By Alex McLeod of RugbyPass.com Ian Foster's 35-man All Blacks squad will assemble for the first time today in Whakatane as preparations for the upcoming Bledisloe Cup series get underway. Plenty of anticipation has arisen since last week's confirmation that the All Blacks and Wallabies will do battle with each other for the first time in over a…