Sevu Reece to end All Blacks career with France move, but there's one snag

Perpignan have pulled off a major coup after agreeing to sign All Blacks winger Sevu Reece on a three-year contract, subject to them retaining their Top 14 status at the end of the season.

French newspaper L’Indépendant are reporting that the Catalan club, who are the Top 14 whipping boys with only one bonus point from their 11 games this season, have made Reece, 28, their first signing for next season.

But the deal will only happen if, by some miracle, the Pyrénées-Orientales outfit avoids the drop, which is a big ask given they are six points behind next-to-bottom Montauban and 22 points from Lyon in 12th.

Perpignan president François Rivière last week announced that he had reached an agreement with an international star “of Jamie Ritchie’s calibre,” and it has now been revealed that Reece is the player he was talking about.

Fiji-born Reece, who has won 37 caps for the All Blacks, is willing to end his international career to move to France, as only players playing in New Zealand are eligible to play for Scott Robertson’s side.

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Reece, who has also played full-back and outside centre, was a member of the All Blacks side that lost the 2019 Rugby World Cup semi-final to England before missing the 2023 tournament with a knee injury.

He was in blistering form for the Crusaders last season, scoring eight tries in 16 games, helping the franchise to the Super Rugby Pacific title after being the Chiefs 16-12 in the final.

A try-scoring machine who scored twice after coming off the bench for the All Blacks in their recent 52-26 victory over Wales to take his international tally to 22.

Reece has scored 66 tries in 88 appearances for the Crusaders, and will arrive in France towards the end of next year once his commitments with the Crusaders end if Perpignan manage to survive in the top flight.