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Cam Roigard and Shaun Stevenson recommit to New Zealand Rugby
In a major boost for the future of the All Blacks, fan favourites Cam Roigard and Shaun Stevenson have recommitted to New Zealand Rugby and their respective Super Rugby Pacific clubs on multi-year deals.
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While the rugby world continues to watch the clock tick by ahead of the Rugby World Cup quarterfinals this weekend, both the Hurricanes and Chiefs have made major announcements that will surely bring a smile to the faces of New Zealand rugby fans.
Rising star Cam Roigard has penned a three-year extension with the Hurricanes and NZ Rugby which will see the halfback remain in the capital until the end of 2027.
The 22-year-old dynamo is currently on national duty with the All Blacks at the Rugby World Cup in France after impressing at Super Rugby Pacific level with the Hurricanes earlier this year.
With veteran TJ Perenara missing the entire season with an Achilles injury, Roigard followed in the footsteps of a giant of New Zealand rugby and more than held his own. It was a breakout campaign for the scrum-half who finished the season as the Hurricanes’ equal top try-scorer.
Roigard described the decision to sign with the Hurricanes as a “no-brainer” before revealing that he “never wanted to play anywhere else.”
“The club gave me my first opportunity at Super Rugby, and I saw this as an opportunity to repay them for opening that door,” Roigard said in a statement.
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“I have loved every minute of my time here over the past couple of seasons so to be able to lock in the next few years with the Hurricanes and NZ Rugby is awesome.
Head-to-Head
Last 5 Meetings
Wins
2
Draws
0
Wins
3
Average Points scored
22
30
First try wins
40%
Home team wins
40%
“The attacking style of footy the Hurricanes play suits my game and I compliment the team as well. Being part of this group is special to me, and if this year was a taste of what’s to come then I can’t wait to be honest.”
Roigard has been one of the standout performers at this year’s World Cup for the All Blacks. The halfback walked away with Player of the Match honours after an incredible display against Namibia in Toulouse.
The dynamic halfback has scored two tries at the sport’s showpiece event, has played a part in three try assists, and has generally impressed with a quick passing game.
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“It’s a great signing for the club,” new coach Clark Laidlaw added. “Everyone can see how well he’s been playing with the All Blacks, and at the back end with the Hurricanes.
“Having someone of his calibre sign a long-term deal shows how much we think of him and how much NZ Rugby think of his future.
“To win big competitions you need world-class players in key positions, and halfback is obviously a key position.
“I haven’t had the luxury of working with Cam yet but all the coaches here talk about how competitive he is and his desire to be better. I think his best rugby is yet to come and we’re delighted he’s going to do that for the Hurricanes.”
In more good news, the Chiefs confirmed earlier this week that one of New Zealand’s form outside backs has recommitted to the club until 2025.
Shaun Stevenson has re-signed with New Zealand Rugby for a further two years, and will continue to ply his trade for the Chiefs in Super Rugby Pacific and North Harbour in the NPC.
Stevenson was a revelation for the minor premiers this season, and went on to debut in the black jersey against the Wallabies in Dunedin.
“Shaun had a fantastic season and was duly rewarded with the opportunity to wear the black jersey,” Chiefs head coach Clayton McMillan said in a statement.
“He has gained a lot of confidence through consistent performances, is a seasoned professional and has that X-factor quality. His vision and anticipation, speed and long kicking game help shape defences and create opportunities to attack.
“We look forward to seeing him light it up again next season.”
Stevenson also issued a message of intent as the Chiefs announced the re-signings news, saying that there’s “unfinished business” after losing the final to the champion Crusaders.
“I’m excited to don the Gallagher Chiefs’ jersey once again in 2024,” Stevenson told the Chiefs. “There’s unfinished business to attend to. Let’s go!”
Comments on RugbyPass
It was rubbish to watch, Blues weren’t even present. Did what they had to do, nothing more. Should be better next week against canes.
1 Go to commentsI’ve just noticed that this match has an all-French refereeing team. Surely a game like this ought to have a neutral ref? Although looking at the BBC preview of the Saints game, Raynal is also down as reffing that - so there may be some confusion about who is reffing what.
1 Go to commentsIf Havili can play anywhere in the back line, why not first 5. #10.
11 Go to commentsThe dressing room had already left for their summer break before they ran out in Dublin that year, and that’s on the coach. Franco Smith has undoubtedly made progress, particularly their maul, developing squad players and increasing squad depth. And against a very tight budget too. That said they were too lightweight last year and got found out against both Toulon and Munster in consecutive games. Better this season so far but they’ve developed something of a slow start habit occasionally, most notably losing at home to Northampton who played them at their own game. Play offs will ultimately show whether there has been tangible progress on last year, or not…!
2 Go to commentsAustralian Rugby has been a disaster, by not incorporating learning from previous successful campaigns. QLD Reds 2011 - Waratahs 2014. Players, coaches and administrators appoint there representatives for scheduled meetings, organisation’s agreement’s assessments and correspondence. This why a unified Rugby Union under one entity works. Every Rugby nation has taken that path. Was most difficult in the Northern hemisphere with over 100 years of club rugby before the game become professional. Took a lot of humility for those unions to eventually work together.
7 Go to commentsThough Wilson’s sacking was pretty brutal, it wasn’t just down to that Leinster game; Glasgow had a lot of 2nd half collapses that season, in the URC and Europe, and only just scraped into the playoffs. Franco Smith has definitely been an improvement, some players are delivering far more than they did under Wilson.
2 Go to commentsjesus - that front 5!
1 Go to commentsShould be an absolute cracker of a game! Will be great to see DuPont & Ntamack in tandem once again🔥
1 Go to commentsBest team ever…. To have played? These guys are still pressure chokers. Came nowhere when it counted. What a joke
69 Go to commentsMusk defends anonymous terrorism, fascism, threats against individuals and children etc etc But a Rugby club account….lock ‘em up!!!
1 Go to commentsActually the era defining moment came a few years earlier. February 2002 to be precise, when Michael D Higgins as finance minister at the time introduced his sports persons tax relief bill to the dial. As the politicians of the day stated “It seems to be another daft K Club frolic born in Kildare amongst the well-paid professional jockeys with whom the Minister plays golf” and that the scheme represented “a savage uncaring vision of Ireland and one that should be condemned”. The irfu and Leinster would be nowhere near the position they are in today without this key component of the finances.
5 Go to commentsIt is crystal clear that people who make such threats on line should be tried and imprisoned. Those with responsibility in social media companies who don’t facilitate this should be convicted. In real life, I have free speech to approach someone like Reinach and verbally threaten him. I am risking a conviction or a slap but I could do it. In the old days, If someone anonymously threatened someone by letter the police would ask and use evidence from the postal system. Unlike the Post, social media companies have complete instant and legal access to the content in social media. They make money from the data, billions. Yet, they turn a blind eye to terrorism, Nazi-ism and industrial levels of threats against individuals including their address and childrens schools being published online all from ananoymous accounts not real people. They claim free speech. Free speech for anonymous trolls/voilent thugs threatening people under false names? The fault is with the perps but also social media companies who think anonymous personas posting death threats constitutes free speech.
2 Go to commentsSo if this ain’t the best Irish team ever then who exactly is? I don’t remember any other Irish team being this good & winning a series in the Land of the Long White Cloud. Yes I may rip them often for 8 X QF RWC exits & twice not even making it to the QF, but they’re a damn good team who many think can only improve, including me!
69 Go to commentsNot a squeek out of Leinster for weeks about this match. So quiet. The first team have been quitely building for this encounter under Nienaber’s direction. All fresh, all highly motivated. They are expecting a season’s best performance from Northhampton. They will match that. They will be fresher and apparently they will have 80,000 out of the 83,000 shouting for them. I do expect Northhampton to turn up big time. Not to be missed. On a tangent it is evident how the loss of a few Premiership teams has in some respect helped other Premiership teams and England. More quality over less teams makes the teams better, which has a knock on effect on England. Not the only factor contributing to England’s rise but one of them.
5 Go to commentsOur very own monster teddy bear Ox😍💪
17 Go to commentsThis is might be the most generalised, entitled, patronising, out-of-pocket cultural indictment on a group of people you’ll ever see on what is supposedly a sports publication. I can only assume the author is weak like a woman or homosexual. I’m feeling an incredible range of emotions but I am not quite sure how to express them. I might go beat up a hockey player - assuming that’s okay with Duane and the boys? 🙂
9 Go to commentsBest thing the Welsh clubs could do is apply to join Gallagher prem surely be more exciting matches for there support than they have now.
2 Go to commentsRugbyPass writers are useless! you guys should get a real job because you all suck at writing about rugby!!!
9 Go to commentslooking forward to RWC2027 …. Boks on mission impossible for the Three-in-a-row, ABs to prove they being on par, France wishing to crown the “DuPont-era”, Ireland knocking on the Semi-Door ….. until then we’ll probably have to deal with Weird Ben’s fantasy-RWC23 (fun fact is, the drivel always creates a flooding of comments) …..
223 Go to commentsBen Smith you really make some good points in this article, the Springboks were not close to perfect and good still beat the All Blacks, imagine if they were as good as they were against France what a hiding the All Blacks would have gotten… maybe another Twickenham drubbing
223 Go to comments