RENE RANGER

Signed to play for Montpellier in January 2013 when he had been largely ignored and little used by Pat Lam at the Blues in 2012.

He didn’t see he had much of a future in New Zealand when he signed with Montpellier. But that all changed when he won regular game time under new Blues coach John Kirwan. Ranger recovered his form, started to love being part of the Blues again and didn’t want to go to France after all.

He won an All Blacks recall and they tried to help him out of the contract...but to no avail. He had to go, but only stayed for two instead of three years – being granted compassionate release because he was so desperate to come home.home