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Gallagher Premiership

Hot property Hoskins Sotutu attracting renewed interest from England

Neil Fissler

190 days ago

Super Rugby Pacific 2024 MVP Hoskins Sotutu of the Blues. Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images

Former All Black back row Hoskins Sotutu is once again being touted for a move to the Gallagher PREM when his contract with the Blues and the NZRFU runs out in 2026.

Auckland-born No. 8 Sotutu, who is 27 years of age, qualifies internationally for three countries: New Zealand by birth, Fiji through his father Waisake, and England via his mother Adelita, who is the director of sport at Auckland’s Howick College.

Sotutu, who has made 80 appearances for the Blues, ironically won the last of his 14 All Blacks caps against England in November 2022 and will become available for Steve Borthwick next month.

The 2024 Super Rugby Pacific Player of the Year, last October, declined the opportunity for an All Blacks recall for the autumn tour of Europe, which was seen as an attempt to keep his options open.

Sotutu, who has played in the NPC for Auckland and Counties Manukau, appeared for the AUNZ Invitational XV against the Lions in the summer and admitted his agent had been exploring options.

“I can’t say I had a chat [to Borthwick], but my agent went to work and explored options,” he told the New Zealand Herald earlier this year.

Gloucester, who lost key ball carriers Zach Mercer, Ruan Ackermann, and Albert Tuisue at the end of last season, were immediately linked with a move for Sotutu.

While he also attracted interest from Leicester Tigers and Saracens, who could revive their interest after confirming Tom Willis was moving at the end of the season, after agreeing to join Bordeaux.

Sotutu, who is held in high regard by the England coaching team, might be offered an Enhanced Elite Player Squad contract, worth about £150,000, to make a move to London more appealing.

The former Premiership and European Champions are now drawing up a shortlist of potential targets, now that Willis’s future has been confirmed and they will start to work their way through it.

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Comments

10 Comments

Jason 170 days ago

Wherever he goes I hope he does bloody well. Super Rugby Player of the year 2024 and overlooked by the ABs coaching staff that year who instead opted for Finau, Jacobsen and Blackadder. Most media outlets at the time were running headlines like ‘if he cant make the ABs after a season like that, what else does the guy have to do?’ (or something of that nature…)

SB 190 days ago

A player who has the potential to get to test match level, very skilful number 8. Under a different coach, he could be a current All Black.

SC 190 days ago

Both Foster and Robertson concluded that Sotutu had something missing which was required to be a test 8- mental toughness and character.

B 190 days ago

Here's three reasons why NZRugby won't offer Hoskin an AB’s contract….

(1).If he had the Xfactor skill sets, Jason Ryan would've had him locked in…

(2).Peter Lakai 22yrs: Flanker, No.8

(3).Wallace Sititi 23 yrs: Flanker, No.8

Another 190 days ago

Sotutu fell out of AB favour last year and many critics felt he was unlucky. This year, however, most just wouldn’t pick him. Basically, he looks good going forward but lacks intensity in defence. If England do pick him up, it would seem a bit mercenary, but I’m not sure he’s what they are looking for anyway.

CO 190 days ago

You obviously didn't see the semi be played against the Crusaders, he was very effective defensively and intent was very much there

Mike 190 days ago

I’d be delighted to see Hoskins Sotutu playing in England, I don’t think he’s likely to play for England. He’s definitely a good enough player, but he’s 27, and England aren’t short of quality back rowers at the moment, several of whom are younger than him. I also think the suggestion that Borthers would agree to offer Hoskins one of a finite number of EPS contracts just to get him to come to England is fantasy - he’s not enough of a stand out player to justify it, but imagine the uproar if players who’d come up through the English academy system were overlooked in favour of parachuting him in.

The joker might be Tom Willis suddenly removing himself from the test football conversation and if the England coaches felt the need for an “oven baked”, specialist 8 with international experience, but I am sceptical.

Tom 190 days ago

Well the timing couldn't have worked out better if this is an option.. but I'd be sad to see England give an EPS contract to someone who's never played a game in the premiership.

If he were to come over without an EPS contract I'd be surprised if he didn't play in some capacity. England's backrow is stacked but we don't have a player like him and they will want to cap him so he’s tied down. Brad Shields probably should have never played for England but was parachuted in. This would be a mistake, we're aspiring to beat the All Blacks so scrambling for a player who can't get in their team is pretty negative and would be a big fly in the ointment a la Sam Burgess. I don't think the players have a huge amount of respect for Borthwick as a leader and this would undermine it further. Plus what message does it give to Sotutu? England is his second choice team already and we're going to roll out a red carpet for a player with a reputation of going missing in defence? No thanks. If he wants to play for England he needs to prove he's willing to fight for it.

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