Blues captain Patrick Tuipulotu weighs in on Sotutu's non-selection as No 8 shares "most hated" post

Blues captain Patrick Tuipulotu has shared his thoughts on the "surprise" omission of teammate and No 8 Hoskins Sotutu from the first All Blacks squad of 2024.

The try-scoring back rower topped the charts with 12 during the Blues title-winning Super Rugby Pacific campaign, proving to be one of the most valuable players in the competition.

But after capturing their first Super Rugby title since 2003, the champion Blues registered just three forwards in Scott Robertson's All Black squad.

Tuipulotu revealed the passing of a close relative has also weighed on Sotutu in the wake of the Super Rugby Pacific title win.

“He’s had a pretty tough couple of days and I want to send my condolences out to him and his family. There’s been a death in his family and that’s something pretty harsh to add to what he’s going through at the moment,” Tuipulotu told Stuff.co.nz.

“I was surprised [he’s not here]. He’s been a pretty consistent performer for us all throughout the season. I was pretty disappointed not to see his name there.”

The All Black loose forwards featured Ardie Savea, Luke Jacobson and Wallace Sititi, three candidates who play No 8 regularly, as well as Crusader Ethan Blackadder who can play across all three positions.

Sotutu shared a photo of the Blues' championship win on Instagram with the caption "MostHated" after the announcement of the All Blacks squad.

The cryptic post receieved support from other Blues teammates, Akira Ioane who commented "don't send boys" and Ofa Tuungafasi who sent support.