Laumape snubs overseas offers to pursue All Blacks 12 jersey
Powerful midfielder Ngani Laumape has become the latest player to commit to New Zealand, after extending his contract with New Zealand Rugby and his Hurricanes Super Rugby team.
25-year-old Laumape made his Investec Super Rugby and provincial debut for the Hurricanes and Manawatu respectively in 2016 and his All Blacks debut in 2017. He has played 10 times for the All Blacks, as well as 44 Super Rugby games and 14 Manawatu matches.
Laumape acknowledged that while he had received offers to head overseas at the end of the 2019 season, he felt it was the best thing for himself and his family to continue to play for the Hurricanes, look to again play for the All Blacks, as well as extend his provincial contract.
“It was a decision that I feel really happy with and it also gives me and my family security to know where we will be to at least the end of 2021,” he said.
All Blacks Head Coach Steve Hansen said: “Ngani is part of a crop of outstanding young All Blacks who are taking their opportunities on the international stage, and we congratulate him on his decision. He’s a talented footballer and really maturing and growing his game in the midfield position. We look forward to seeing Ngani in the All Blacks and Hurricanes jerseys for some years to come.”
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Hurricanes Head Coach John Plumtree said he was delighted that Laumape would continue to be at the club beyond 2019.
“To get Ngani committed to being at the Hurricanes until 2021, so soon after Dane Coles also announced he was staying, it’s more great news for us,” he said.
“We believe Ngani will continue to get better. We have all seen how destructive and effective he is in the midfield for us and he is a guy who other players want to team up with.”
Hurricanes Chief Executive Avan Lee said Laumape’s decision to extend his time with the Hurricanes and New Zealand Rugby was another positive signal.
“We know how much of an impact it can have on other players when they see the likes of Ngani staying and wanting to continue with the Hurricanes. We are really pleased he will be here, with us, for at least the next three years.”
Laumape has also extended his contract with Manawatu Rugby, with CEO Shannon Paku also welcoming the news.
“The Manawatu rugby community are ecstatic to have Ngani extend his contract with the Turbos through to 2021. Ngani is proud of his Manawatu heritage and he’s one of many locally developed players succeeding on the world stage.”
Palmerston North-born Ngani Laumape attended Palmerston North Boys’ High School and was selected for the New Zealand Schools team in 2011.
Despite his early rugby success, Laumape decided to sign with the Warriors rugby league team when he left school and by 2014 he was an established starter in the squad. The following year he investigated a return to rugby and made his Investec Super Rugby debut for the Hurricanes in the opening match of the 2016 season.
He went on to make 11 appearances, including seven starts, to help the Hurricanes to their inaugural Super Rugby title. Laumape made his All Blacks Test debut in 2017 coming off the back of a stunning Investec Super Rugby season where he topped the try-scoring list with 15 tries.
The powerful midfielder made an assured Test debut against the British & Irish Lions, scoring an outstanding try in the third Test and went on to make three appearances later in the Investec Rugby Championship and also toured to the Northern Hemisphere later that year, playing two non-Tests. He followed that up with six appearances in 2018.
Comments on RugbyPass
Big difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
30 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
30 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
30 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
30 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
30 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to comments