Richie Mo’unga opens up on ‘devastating’ World Cup final and All Blacks return

Richie Mo’unga has returned to New Zealand after three years abroad with a clear goal in mind: to help the All Blacks win Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027. Mo’unga was part of the All Blacks side that fell painfully short of the ultimate prize in France, losing by just one point to the Springboks.

“To come so close to winning it was just devastating,” the All Blacks first five told RugbyPass last month, having joined Dave Rennie’s squad fairly recently. Mo’unga woke up at 2:00 am to a missed message from ‘Rens’ in August, who called the playmaker into camp.

Mo’unga had linked up with the squad over in South Africa during Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry, suiting up against the Lions in Johannesburg and then starting the fourth Test against the Springboks at Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium.

Less than three weeks after the RGR series finale, World Rugby celebrated the ‘one year to go’ milestone ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup. 24 teams will compete in the newly expanded format, but only one can reach the summit on November 13 in Sydney.

Mo’unga has won seven Super Rugby titles and is a two-time Japan Rugby League champion, but the World Cup crown has so far remained out of reach. The 32-year-old’s return to New Zealand is about leaving no stone unturned and having no regrets, with all eyes on the Webb Ellis Cup.

“A big part of the comeback, I have my eyes set on winning a Rugby World Cup. 2023 was just devastating,” Mo’unga said.

“It was really hard to take in terms of not long after going to Japan and starting over there. You’re constantly just thinking of what could have been, or what could you have done better?

“That’s definitely a main goal for me. I definitely think a main driver is just not wondering what could have been if I didn’t come back. This environment is awesome, it pushes you and really urges you to be the best you can and I think I missed that.

“Just not knowing where the ceiling is for me, I just don’t want to have any regrets post-rugby around, could I have done more? Could I have been better? Coming back has given me the motivation for that.”

Mo’unga started in the No. 10 jersey in the 2023 Rugby World Cup Final, but the Springboks held on to defend their crown 12-11. As every All Blacks player, coach and staff member did, Mo’unga walked past the Webb Ellis Cup, wearing a silver medal instead of gold.

That was Mo’unga’s last appearance in an All Blacks jersey for three years, linking up Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo. Mo’unga had won seven Super Rugby titles in as many years before heading oversea, and backed that up with more silverware in Japan.

Mo’unga became eligible for the All Blacks in August 2026 after appearing in a provincial match for Canterbury, who went on to win the NPC. The No. 10 has signed an 18-month deal with New Zealand Rugby, the Crusaders and Canterbury through to next year’s Rugby World Cup.

“They were all different narratives about me before I even set foot back in New Zealand, even while I was in Japan, about what was going to happen and what should happen and people with their opinions,” Mo’unga explained.

“If anyone knows me, I’m a team-first person. Obviously I’m a competitor and want to play and want to be in that 10 jersey, but the best thing I want is what’s best for the team.

“Just having the opportunity to be in the [All Blacks] environment just meant so much to me. I thanked Rens when he called me… it confirmed for me when I was in South Africa, I was like, ‘sh** this is why I’m coming back.’ This is why I was longing to come back to be in this environment because you miss it and then when you come back, you just understand [that] it requires the best of you, it requires you to be world-class with everything and that’s what I was missing.”