Exodus
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Levi Aumua has signed with Hino Red Dolphins (Top League) with immediate effect.
https://hino-reddolphins.com/news/detail179/According to the website of asierugby, former Blues Forwards Coach Steve Jackson is the new head coach of Shimizu Blue Sharks (Top Challenge League, 2nd div in Japan). As Shimizu hasn't posted any news items on its website since October 2019 and not on its social media since January, I have not been able to check this.
https://www.asierugby.com/post/steve-jackson-nommé-entraîneur-chef-de-shimizu-blue-sharks@Stargazer could cover the midfield,prop and hooker me thinks..!
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Tokyo Metropolitan Police on Thursday announced the arrest of a New Zealand rugby player for the Top League’s Hino Red Dolphins over the alleged use of cocaine, reports Sankei Sports (Mar. 6). At around 4:30 a.m., an officer took forward Joel Everson, 29, in for voluntary questioning after seeing him behaving suspiciously as he walked in the Roppongi entertainment district of Minato Ward. After Everson declined to voluntarily provide a urine sample, police forcibly took a sample, which gave a positive result for cocaine, the Azabu Police Station said. -
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@booboo Based on his NZ U20s performances. Trent Renata had a similar reputation from a few years earlier.
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@Bovidae It will be interesting to see where some of the older players are going to, who are now off-contract in France. Retiring, returning to NZ, or going to another overseas club.
There's a list forming: Julian Savea, Liam Messam, Tom Taylor, Loni Uhila, and a few that I can't remember right now. I just saw that Tom Marshall has signed in Japan.
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Tumua Manu (Chiefs) joins french club Pau on a two-year deal.
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Former ABs analyst and Blues assistant coach Alistair Rogers is the new defence coach of Canon Eagles.
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@Yeetyaah Eddie would not be doing his job if he didn't
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If only the NZ Herald had run that article after the ABs had capped him. But then again, it also sounds like Hoskins wanted that information out there. If Hoskins goes I will be disappointed. At least with Shields, he tried for years to get into the ABs and only left after it became clear that he was not likely to get picked.
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Eddie Jones has repeatedly said it's not his job to write the eligibility rules, it's his job to prepare the best possible team for England to the very best of his ability.
Whatever decision Hoskins Sotutu makes is up to him. He will know his career goals and his own Rugby identity. He has to think as well about his post-Rugby career and the very real possibility that injury could cut his career short.
It would be a stunning coup by Eddie Jones and the RFU if they could get Hoskins Sotutu of the Blues and former NZ under-20 international to commit to playing for England. But dear God, what would it say about Ian Foster and NZR if they let such an obvious outstanding talent slip through their fingers?
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Eddie Jones has repeatedly said it's not his job to write the eligibility rules, it's his job to prepare the best possible team for England to the very best of his ability.
Whatever decision Hoskins Sotutu makes is up to him. He will know his career goals and his own Rugby identity. He has to think as well about his post-Rugby career and the very real possibility that injury could cut his career short.
It would be a stunning coup by Eddie Jones and the RFU if they could get Hoskins Sotutu of the Blues and former NZ under-20 international to commit to playing for England. But dear God, what would it say about Ian Foster and NZR if they let such an obvious outstanding talent slip through their fingers?
Eddie Jones has repeatedly said it's not his job to write the eligibility rules, it's his job to prepare the best possible team for England to the very best of his ability.
Whatever decision Hoskins Sotutu makes is up to him. He will know his career goals and his own Rugby identity. He has to think as well about his post-Rugby career and the very real possibility that injury could cut his career short.
It would be a stunning coup by Eddie Jones and the RFU if they could get Hoskins Sotutu of the Blues and former NZ under-20 international to commit to playing for England. But dear God, what would it say about Ian Foster and NZR if they let such an obvious outstanding talent slip through their fingers?
I don't think it says anything about Foster or NZR if he choses to play for England. He's a young, inexperienced lad, so they're not going to throw extra money at him to keep him here. What can they do? Nothing. They're not going to cap a player quickly, just to keep him from playing for another country. Now, that would be dodgy!
From what I've read, it's still a distinct possibility that he choses to play for Fiji. I haven't been able to find it anymore, but I remember reading somewhere that there's quite a lot of pressure from his family in Fiji to do so. There may also be financial pressure from that side.
