The National Provincial Championship is in full swing with six rounds of competition completed.
The 2024/2025 season of the French Pro D2 is about to start, and the number of international players keeps growing with the likes of Courtney Lawes, George North, Chris Farrell, and Curwin Bosch having joined it.
London Irish secured their place in the European Challenge Cup quarter-finals with a 10-try demolition of French Top 14 club Castres.
Glasgow’s Kiwi contingent of TJ Ioane, Aki Seiuli and Fotu Lokotui have endured a tough start to the PRO14 with the Warriors.
New Zealand rugby, and the Chiefs in particular, still miss Charlie Ngatai, who continued to show his class for Lyon in the French Top 14.
Jacob Botica, the son of Frano, the dual-code New Zealand international, has returned to France following the end of his two-year stint at Dragons.
Jacob Botica, Cory Hill, Nic Cudd, Rhys Lawrence and James Sheekey will also depart the Welsh region.
Elsewhere in the Champions Cup, a Jackson Willison try was not enough for Bath, which fell 19-25 at home to Harlequins.
Hoeata, who is a medical joker for Vern Cotter’s side until the end of the season after injury to Jacques du Plessis, made eight runs and five tackles for his new team.