Hansen saddened to lose services of Sopoaga
All Blacks coach Steve Hansen couldn’t hide his disappointment at Lima Sopoaga’s decision to leave New Zealand and sign for English club Wasps.
Sopoaga confirmed the move, reported to be three years and worth £1.5 million (NZ$2.8 million), on Thursday and will head to England when the Highlanders’ Super Rugby campaigns ends this year.
The 26-year-old first five-eighth will therefore rule himself out of representing the All Blacks at the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan. Just two of his 16 test caps have been starts since his debut in 2015 Lima Sopoaga’s move to English club Wasps is the latest in a growing number of All Blacks leaving New Zealand to cash in overseas.
Of all 119 All Blacks to a play a test since 2008, 54 are still active in New Zealand rugby, five have retired without ever playing overseas and the and he wasn’t part of the World Cup-winning squad that year.
Two-time World Player of the Year Beauden Barrett is firmly established at the first-choice No remaining 60 have taken up opportunities overseas. Some have returned to New Zealand but are still counted amongst those who have departed. World Cup years, unsurprisingly, tend to be the busiest at the departure gates. Eleven All Blacks joined an overseas club in 2011 and 12 departed in 2015. 10, but Hansen has lost another of his replacement playmakers following Aaron Cruden’s move to French club Montpellier last year.
‘‘We’re disappointed to be losing Lima but we understand his reasons for leaving,’’ Hansen told The Times.
‘‘He has been upfront and communicated with us through the process and when he leaves, he and his young family will go with our best wishes. Our job now will be to develop the next player to take his place.’’
Damian McKenzie really emerged at test level last year and will likely be featuring more at firstfive for the Chiefs in Super Rugby after playing at fullback for most of the last two seasons. Richie Mo’unga is another name in the frame after making his first appearance for the All Blacks last year against a French XV side during the end-of-year tour.