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All Black bolter candidate announces Japan move

Devan Flanders of the Hurricanes arrives prior to the round four Super Rugby match between NSW Waratahs and Hurricanes at Allianz Stadium, on March 06, 2026, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Jeremy Ng/Getty Images)
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The Hurricanes have announced that blindside flanker Devan Flanders will leave the club at season’s end to move to Japan.

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That move would rule him out of All Black contention, where he has been a popular pick as a bolter after a stellar season so far in 2026.

Flanders has been an all-round talent in the Hurricanes’ back row, helping the club lead the competition after twelve rounds.

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Since his debut in 2020 against the Stormers, Flanders has had 66 Super caps for the club.

He made the All Blacks XV squad in 2025, indicating that he was not far off from the highest level.

He will play out the Super Rugby season where the Hurricanes are chasing their second title since their maiden one in 2016.

Wellington has become my second home, and I’ve truly appreciated the support from the community,” Flanders said in a statement.

“I’ve loved every minute of my time with the Canes, and the club is definitely in good hands moving forward.”

Hurricanes head coach Clark Laidlaw acknowledged Flanders’ decision to head abroad and recognised his contribution to the club.

“Devan’s a true product of the region, played all his rugby for Hawke’s Bay and the Hurricanes, and has grown into an amazing man and a really good rugby player,” Laidlaw said.

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“He’s done an amazing job with the coaches this year. An example of that is in the defensive lineout, where he’s a real leader now in an area of the game that is important.

“We’re going to miss him for sure, but we wish him and Mariah all the best with his future career. We look forward to continuing to connect and welcoming him home and back into the club whenever he wants to be back, because he’s a true Hurricane.”

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7 Comments
G
Graeme Hayward 2 mins ago

There are several possible explanations here - One is that there hasn't been any comms to players on the AB radar. Maybe, they are going to open it up and select some offshore players who have played 4 or 5 domestic seasons?

I don’t see how NZ will be able to compete in the long term with their current eligibility rules.

G
GS 25 mins ago

These are the players who left last year and have announced leaving at the end of this season (so 2025 and 2026 Super seasons):

Pouri Rakete-Stones

Dalton Papali'i

Sevu Reece

Hoskins Sotutu 

Shaun Stevenson

Harry Plummer

Braydon Ennor

Fehi Fineanganofo

Etene Nanaï-Seturo

Dallas McLeod

Harry Plummer

Ricky Riccitelli

Shaun Stevenson

Sam Gilbert

Thomas Umaga-Jensen

Peter Umaga-Jensen

Mark Telea

Adrian Choat

Tom Christie

Zach Gallagher

Riley Higgins 

Xavier Roe 

Louie Chapman

Devan Flanders


NZ Rugby has, in effect, been asset-stripped, leaving Super Rugby NZ with Junior rugby players aged 20-23 who are gaining experience and are the next-gen ABs, along with a couple of senior pros and the current ABs.


That middle tier of players aged 25-28 is been stripped away - not healthy for the game, but when, according to the press, NZ Super players can generate a max of 250k in NZ, and they can triple that in a place like Japan - any surprise this is occurring?

A
Andrew Nichols 28 mins ago

Good grief. Couldnt even wait for Rennies first squad announcement. This like Fingeangofo’s departure is seriously bad.

L
LondonAllBlack 32 mins ago

This very worrisome.

T
Tk 1 hr ago

An entire layer of young talent that have not yet made the ABs is being stripped away. Soon there won't be anyone left to step up if the selection policy doesn't change.

j
johnz 5 mins ago

Don’t worry, we’ll still have the Barrett family. Between the 3 of them, they probably earn enough to fund 12 or more salaries the size of Flander’s.

L
LondonAllBlack 31 mins ago

Could not agree more!

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