Six former All Blacks eligible for new nations in 2025
The new year brings with it the potential of new chapters and fresh starts for many of international rugby’s discarded or forgotten talents.
Recently, we’ve seen the likes of former All Blacks Ngani Laumape and Charles Piatau line up for Tonga, Lima Sopoaga and Steven Luatua represent Samoa and even Alex Hodgeman don Wallabies colours thanks to World Rugby’s loosening of the eligibility laws.
So, who’s next in line for a potential shift in allegiance? Here are six former All Blacks who could opt to represent a different aspect of their heritage in 2025.
Hoskins Sotutu
Age: 26
Last All Blacks cap: November 19, 2022
Eligible nations: England, Fiji
Possibly the biggest name in 2025 international free agency, the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific MVP is eligible for both Fiji and England after last appearing for the All Blacks on the 2022 Northern Tour.
Sotutu is undoubtedly one of rugby’s great forward talents with the ball in hand, but a hard-nosed selection policy from All Blacks forwards coach Jason Ryan has resisted the 26-year-old’s X-factor.
Whether or not England’s Steve Borthwick could be seduced by Sotutu’s upside, resulting in selection and ultimately game time is yet to be addressed, but plenty of clubs in the Gallagher Premiership would be more than happy to aid in luring the star talent north.
Borthwick currently has in his pocket one of rugby’s premier No. 8s in Ben Earl, which could place Sotutu into the all too familiar position of playing second fiddle, similar to his years spent in the All Blacks behind Ardie Savea.
There is, of course, the possibility that two successive years of All Blacks omissions could result in Sotutu ironing out the necessary crinkles in his game for an All Blacks recall, with comments from the coaching staff implying his defence is largely to blame for him missing the cut.
Given that Sotutu featured in the 25-25 draw against England on November 19, 2022, his eligibility for either England or Fiji is only valid from that date in 2025, meaning if he were to earn selection in a new colour this year, whether he’d appear for them or not would be dependent on how long his new nation’s schedule is.
The 14-time All Black is contracted with New Zealand Rugby until 2026 after signing a two-year deal in May 2024.
Akira Ioane
Age: 29
Last All Blacks cap: November 13, 2022
Eligible nations: Samoa, Japan
2024 saw Akira Ioane thrive in a more traditional forward role after a career of coaches trying to unleash his athleticism in the wide channels.
In trading sideline steps for carries in tight, Ioane was a powerful component of the Blues’ avalanche-esque forward play and proved his versatility while signing off his immense Blues career with a championship.
Now plying his trade in Japan with Hanazono Kintetsu Liners, Ioane is out of the All Blacks picture entirely and can offer his physicality to his nation of birth, Japan, or the nation his father represented, Samoa.
Cast aside by the incoming All Blacks assistant coaches following the Kiwis’ turbulent 2022 season, Ioane will conclude his three-year stand-down period at the end of the year, when he can look to follow in his dad’s footsteps or throw his hat in the ring with Eddie Jones’ revolution in the Land of the Rising Sun.
Folau Fakatava
Age: 25
Last All Blacks cap: July 16, 2022
Eligible nations: Tonga
Rarely is a player available for a second nation by the ripe age of 25, but Fakatava’s promise and talent after breaking out for the Magpies in the NPC, before undergoing mentorship under Aaron Smith at the Highlanders had New Zealand fans thinking they’d found the heir to Smith’s All Blacks throne.
A cruel run of injuries has meant the Nuku’alofa-born talent has fallen out of the All Blacks picture entirely, even missing selection for the All Blacks XV in 2024 as Finlay Christie and Noah Hotham shared the honours.
Fakatava can return to the international arena in the 2025 Pacific Nations Cup should he wish to and should he earn the call-up, having played his last and only Tests for the All Blacks during the 2022 Ireland series.
He would no doubt be a huge asset for the ‘Ikale Tahi, where he could follow in the footsteps of fellow former All Blacks like Malakai Fekitoa and Vaea Fifita. Even if he doesn’t suit up for the Tongan side this year, Fakatava may well be present for the team when they look to assemble their all-star cast at the next World Cup.
George Bower
Age: 32
Last All Blacks cap: November 19, 2022
Eligible nations: Fiji
Bower was in All Blacks camp at various points in 2024 as injury cover, so is unlikely to stray from the team he is evidently on the fringes of. But, given he hasn’t actually donned the black jersey since 2022, the option to switch to Fiji is there for him in 2025.
Having torn his ACL in round six of the 2023 Super Rugby season, Bower was absent from the international rugby arena in the World Cup year and was subsequently overtaken in both the club and national ranks by Tamaiti Williams, having previously lost his starting spot to Ethan de Groot during the All Blacks’ pivotal 2022 Rugby Championship.
Bower came back from the injury in fine form in 2024 and helped a shaky All Blacks XV scrum do just enough to get wins against Munster and Georgia.
Pita Gus Sowakula
Age: 30
Last All Blacks cap: July 9, 2022
Eligible nations: Fiji
The Lautoka-born Clermont forward enjoyed just a two-Test career in black, contributing minorly in the All Blacks’ series defeat to Ireland in 2022.
His inclusion was subject to a brief wave of controversy, given his few minutes off the bench over the course of two weeks eliminated him from Fiji eligibility for three years. Now, having served those three years and moved to France, Sowakula has the ability to join Mick Byrne’s youthful squad – when the Top 14 season accommodates it.
The former age-grade Fijian basketball star would be eligible for the Pacific Nations Cup given his last Test cap was in July of 2022.
Aidan Ross
Age: 29
Last All Blacks cap: July 9, 2022
Eligible nations: Australia
Similar to Fakatava and Sowakula, Ross’s All Blacks career only lasted as long as the Ireland series, where he made just one appearance in Dunedin’s 23-12 defeat.
The Chiefs stalwart will play his final season in Hamilton in 2025 before departing for the sunny shores of Queensland later in the year, where he’ll join the Reds on a multi-year deal.
The shift across the Tasman could suggest the Sydney-born prop is eyeing another crack at the international arena in Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies.
The deal specifically begins in July, in time for the Reds’ clash with the British and Irish Lions on July 2. The Lions series has proven an attractive prospect for many Australia-eligible talents and with a good Chiefs season under his belt, perhaps Ross could put his name forward for consideration in the landmark series.
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George Bower is outstanding prop, as he showed for the NZ 15. He has been a great contributor to the Crusaders off the field and off it is one of the best team men there is. He is worth his weight in gold to any team he is in.
Please do some basic research. Akira was born in Auckland, & so is not eligible for Japan.
Also, enough of the fake "controversy" hint about Gus. Gus met the Fiji Coach about playing for them at RWC2019, & nothing came of it. It's not clear who initiated this or why he wasn't selected. Four years later Gus was an ABs injury selection for Frizell. When Frizell later became available, (& with the sacking of Plumtree), new ABs forward coach Jase Ryan didn't re-select Gus. Clearly, zero controversy.
I think some commenting here don't realise, or accept, that rugby is now a professional game with a world wide market.
Miz I believe that rugby is heading towards very few tests and will end up a game touring the world with 10-14 teams and the top 400-600 players around the world in those 10-14 teams. If the Middle east ever decides to get keen on rugby a simple buy-out of the best players wont be difficult. Look at the sort of money LIV golf got per player and rugby players earn a 10th of that or less.
you mean 'not' a rep game ?lol
These rules are turning International Rugby into the joke that League is regards this stuff. With the likes of Fakatava and Sowakula they make perfect sense, since they were born and raised in their home countries.
But most of the rest of them, including the likes of Luatua and Piutau, it's a complete joke. Filling the Samoan and Tongan national sides with Kiwi's (and a few Aussies) who chased the money and are now having their cake and eating it too hasn't made them any more competitive, if anything, they've gone backwards. It's not for their benefit anyway, it's mostly the NH sides filled with SH born and developed talent that are keen on these rules.
When Augustine Pichot ran and wanted to have tougher criteria, NZ backed him, and the 'Islands' and NH nations backed the status-quo with Beaumont. Easy to see why when you crunch the numbers on players imported into national sides in their 20's after another nation has brought them through, usually to Super level.
Get over it this is what makes the tier 2 nations more competitive and puts more bums on seats and more viewers meaning more interest and revenue in the game.
Look at International Rugbyleague now look at what Tonga did in the 2024 Pacific Championships? with the players available to Tonga and Samoa they can challenge and beat tier 1 nations like Tonga did New Zealand twice and they've beaten Great Britain and Australia also.
Same thing Union is doing now which is good for the Pacific Islanders who the All Blacks and Australia don't need anymore to go and play for their parents heritage. Makes perfect sense and it makes the game competitive and brings more interest etc.
Noone wants to watch the All Blacks flog Tonga 100-0? Who cares if they were born in New Zealand and developed in their system and go play elsewhere? It's only good for the game. If they play for Tonga and then switch to Samoa? Why not Richie Mo'unga, Shannon Frizell, Leicester Fainga'anuku can all be available for Tonga come rwc next year. Richie's Dad is Tongan and Mother Samoan and he can represent both Tonga and Samoa.
So to those that disagree? This is the same narrative that's lasted the last 100 years and the the Pacific Islands have suffered. Now they can compete.
None of the players on this list who are contracted to NZR can play for another nation Jed, part of their contract (any in NZ) is declaring for the All Blacks.
I doubt Sotutu would represent England either, they have to be one of the most stacked nations for flankers already, far more likely to be an AB. Plus (if he were to play for England this year) they would have to spend a huge amount to get him out of that declaration contract with NZR and they are already skint.
It does raise the interesting question of what sort of ratio/balance England players make up their pay from now, it has heavily increased towards International side (even if they don't win caps)? That would make it even hard, has previoulsy I think most people switching (like Shields) just viewed playing for England as icing on the cake, and the club deals themselves had to provide compeling (money) reason to leave NZ.
The three examples I'm most excited about would be if Sotutu signs in Japan with a view to playing at the highest level with Fiji (easy to see he will only be a bit part All Black unless things really go his way) in time for 2027 (NZR could even work out a 'fair play' deal with Fiji and Japan to allow him to represent earlier), and I think Shaun Stevenson has some island (Samoa) eligibility and could play from next year, alongside Ioane. Currently the Island teams are still not getting much respect from their players, and possibly that due to the unions themselves prioritizing local and WC focus, so with WR stepping up and returning the PNC with some meaning, in line for the Nations Cup, it's a great time for NZ and Australia to step up and take a lead too. Really get involved in raising profile say a tournament in Melbourne (who provide a local team themselves) that has like a Maori All Black quality invitation side included to raise the PNCs profile.
Even someone like Bower is well in the All Black frame still, but why not NZR say do a deal with Japan (for the local scene) and Fiji, say along the lines of the recent Stevenson deal with he plays both the JRLO and most of Super Rugby. He is a bit of a talisman, doing the All Black social videos during the Rugby World Cup, he could continue to link well with all three nations, added much needed experience to NZ development sides young players, Captaining the Drua and Fiji, and doing fan engagement work in Japan while playing etc (not sure if he was looking long term into that as a career, it would be good experience). Imagine the quality him, Sotutu, big Gus, drawing more quality in some of Flying Fijian's european stars coming back. Actually allow them to creaet a business product, as currently their ownly value is being opposition to other teams (playing overseas in places like San Diego). Actually give them a competition and players the rest of the world wants to pay money to watch.
why should Sotutu play for Fiji? What has Fiji done in the way of educating him in rugby. How does he reflect Fiji's rugby programme?
This is utterly absurd and just cheapens the international game.
No it doesn't it makes the international game more competitive and creates more interest and revenue.
Look what Tonga and Samoa have done to Rugbyleague international game? They've brought it back to life especially with what Tonga has done beating New Zealand (2017 rlwc, 2024 Pacific Championship) twice now and beating Australia and Great Britain back in 2019.
This is why Rugby Union is following suit because the game is dying and it needs a lift.
Ready my post.
Not at all. It's a symtom of professionalism and the inequality between International teams. Rugby is a sport which is setup for the traditional big beasts to succeed even more. In the 38 years of the rugby world cup we have had two teams dominate it with no other team winning since 2003. Its ludicrous. You can have no objection to standards getting evened out in other ways, whether its back to Islands, or elsewhere. Its not ideal but it works to some degree. Within reasonable limits I have no objection to this.
with the 3years rule, a player could theoretically play for 4 nations throughout his career .... such is ridiculous, and puts test rugby to club level ..... personally I think, a player should play for one nation only and not be eligible for any other nation in future, unless there is some valid reason behind it (family ties, rootage in new environment, ...) - and any such change should have to be approved by a commission .... just playing for a pro-club a few years is no valid reason in my opinion ..... and let's face it: if the Emirates or Saudis one day decide, "Oh, Rugby is such a sexy thing", they might just lure in all the big names, pay them "*loads for 3years for basically just keeping fit and then line them up
No. It's only possible to transfer to play for a second nation ONCE.
What's wrong with that? Hoskins Sotutu could be selected for the Maori All Blacks, then go on latter and move to England and represent them, then once his career in England (no longer at that standard) is over move to Japan and finish his career playing for Fiji. Why should he not be able to represent any or all of those teams?
Ah, yes, you just have the wrong end of the stick. This has nothing to do with club footy (and can't really happen anymore), for example if the countries involved allowed it, Hoskins could represent all his national teams while playing for say, Moana Pacifika (a team unrelated to any nation). He is playing for countries because they mean something to him, ie like Ardiea Savea's decision, they just want to contribute something to their Island heritage. It's not like Fiji are going to ring the worlds best number 8 by that point in his career.
I do understand where you're coming from though (as what you're thinking was the case a while ago), but the world is changing more. Take this Sotutu England situation, this is becoming less and less likely from happening (at least in this example anyway), as the England Rugby union is not more in charge of payments and not seen as just icing on the cake to a massive club deal (that's how the English game got itself broke in the first place), and nations like Ireland have stated they are no longer going to look offshore etc. So the landscape is improving slowly.
This is all hypothetical remember. Sotutu is most likely to become a key All Black this year as he's the perfect foil a team with tyro's like Sititi, Lakai, Savea is going to need.
The changing of national eligibility should only be from tier one teams (Six Nations and Rugby Championship) to tier two teams (the rest). Not from tier one teams to other tier one teams, or from tier two teams to tier one teams; even if there is a familial connection.
Residency qualification (after 18 years old) is bad enough. Residency qualification (after 18) should only be for tier two nations. The only exception should be, genuine, family migration (not just the player on a scholarship) - before the player turns 18.
Test rugby is becoming too much like club rugby, that you can play for whoever you want to (or the richest team).
I would be happy for WR to only have some very basic rules, and then everyone applies for an exception, yeah. Value every scenario in a case by case basis instead of the blanket rules for everybody that don't fit.
Mate you should only be allowed to play for the nation that you either first played rugby in or were born in. How tf is Bundee Aki, the least Irish person on the planet, able to play for the Ireland national team? Same thing for Emmanuel Meafou, born in NZ, raised by Samoans, in Australia, played rugby in Aus until he was 18, and now plays for France. That is utterly ridiculous.
But this is only an issue in the North, all the players of some kind of PI descent often play for the country which makes the most sense for them. You can think of any player you like, but they all have some kind of real attachment to their teams, while these Northern teams are treating it like some kind of club competition.
And people get upset when New Zealand is called out for poaching players from other nations...
This old chestnut. NZ is full of fecking people from the PI, who move here in family units or get sent over for school. At least NZ invests in them and supports their development. Same can't be said for various other nations who just weasel in and snaffle them once they're ready to go eg. Fergus Burke.
Like Australia ......