All Blacks

One All Black returns, another heads to France

Hurricanes halfback TJ Perenara is heading home after his stint in Japan, signing a two year deal with the club and New Zealand Rugby, while his Hurricanes team-mate Ngani Laumape is heading to France to play for Stade Francais in the Top 14.

Perenara has completed his sabbatical with Japanese club he NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes following their quarterfinal loss on the weekend and will return to New Zealand.

Rugby Championship set for August kick-off

Rugby Australia CEO Andy Marinos said that would give the Wallabies time to rest after the bunched-up three-test series against France.

"At a worst case we're looking at August 7th as the first possible date that (the Rugby Championship) could happen," he told reporters.

"There's a good two, maybe three weeks after this (France) test series in order for the guys to recoup, refresh and get themselves ready."

World champions South Africa pulled out of last year's Rugby Championship against Australia, New Zealand and Argentina, citing player welfare concerns.

All Blacks number eight to leave Auckland

The 22-year-old made his All Blacks debut last year when he came off the bench against Australia in the first Bledisloe Cup test.

He played 15 games for Auckland in the last three NPC seasons after making his provincial debut in 2019 against his new side Counties Manakau.

Sotutu, whose father Waisake played for Counties Manukau while still at high school, links up with Blues teammates, Dalton Papali'i and Nepo Laulala at the Steelers.

Son of All Black committed to the Warriors

Son of former All Black Marty Berry, Rocco made the surprise move to the Warriors after starring in First XV rugby for St. Patrick's Silverstream College in 2019.

Having made his NRL debut this season, the 19-year-old has already impressed the Warriors management enough to earn a contract extension through to 2024.

"I've grown up being a Warriors fan and to have my future here sorted it's something I can't wait for," Berry said.

All Blacks hooker extends stay in France to 2023

Elliot spent two years at Nevers before signing for the Haut-Garonnais club last year. The forward very quickly adapted to the environment at his new club, scoring six tries to date, including a hat-trick against Soyaux-Angoulême.

The club wrote on their website: “Currently the best scorer of the professional team, our hooker is therefore carrying his contract until 2023!”

A former Waikato Chiefs, Elliot won 7 caps for the All Blacks, but left New Zealand in 2017 to join Oyonnax, after facing the British and Irish Lions during their tour of New Zealand.

Caleb Clarke expected to make decision between Olympics or All Blacks and Blues this week

The Blues will kickstart their Super Rugby Trans-Tasman campaign against the Rebels in Melbourne next Saturday, but whether Clarke partakes in that fixture, or in the competition as a whole, remains to be seen.

Speaking to Stuff last week, the 22-year-old wing said he will spend the coming days deciding whether it’s in his best interests to play the Australian franchises over the next month-and-a-bit, or push for a place in the All Blacks Sevens squad to chase an Olympic gold medal in Japan.

Beauden Barrett eyes All Blacks' No 10 jersey

Beauden Barrett, the two-time World Rugby player of the year who has been the All Blacks No 15 for the past two years, told Stuff he wants to be seen as a “specialist No 10” and is driven by the thought of returning to New Zealand and improving in his preferred jersey.

“Absolutely,” Barrett said from Japan, where he is relishing time in the Suntory No 10 jersey in the fast-improving Top League competition.

“I've always wanted to be team first [but] I guess this 10-15 thing has been a system selection.

All Blacks to meet Wales

The Welsh Rugby Union has confirmed its Autumn series with games against New Zealand, South Africa, Fiji and Australia.

The All Blacks fixture on October 30th is outside World Rugby's official international window, so Wales could be without players who play their domestic rugby in another country unless an agreement can be reached.

It is the All Blacks first trip to Cardiff since 2017 with the hosts looking to end a 68-year winless run against New Zealand.

Former NZ Rugby boss fears ultimate cost of Silver Lake deal

Next week's New Zealand Rugby AGM will vote on whether to proceed with the proposed $460 million deal which would give Silver Lake a 15 percent stake in the game.

But David Moffett, who was chief executive of New Zealand Rugby between 1996 and 2000, struggles to see where the value for Silver Lake is.

Former All Black sentenced for punching woman in the face in 'appalling act'

The incident, described as savage and appalling, happened in 2019, in a car, when Guildford was extremely intoxicated.

“The brutality and considerable force behind the blow is illustrated by the nature of the injuries caused to the victim,” Justice Paul Davison QC wrote in a decision released after an appeal in the High Court at Hamilton.

“It was clearly serious offending, and the fact that it took place in the context of the appellant being severely intoxicated by alcohol is no excuse whatsoever.”