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Both Super Rugby Pacific finalists re-sign All Blacks
By Kim Ekin
Both the Crusaders and Chiefs have re-signed All Blacks and All Blacks XV players for the 2024 season.
The Chiefs announced on Friday new contracts for halfbacks Cortez Ratima and Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi. Xavier Roe completes the team's halfback rotation and helps fill the void left by influential leader Brad Weber, who will join the Top 14.
Tahuriorangi was a three-time All Black in 2018 and rejoined the Chiefs in 2023 after a couple of seasons bouncing around various Super Rugby franchises.
Ratima is one of the most exciting and promising halfback talents in the country, with Super Rugby-leading accuracy in his pass making him an elite finisher for the Waikato side in 2023, contributing to the damaging bench unit coach Clayton McMillan deployed and often secured comes with.
An All Blacks XV selection in 2022 saw the 22-year-old's debut on the international stage off the bench against the Barbarians.
“Cortez has been an exciting player to watch and his skill set has gone from strength to strength with consistent game time this season," McMillan said. "He is still a relatively young player and we look forward to seeing how he continues to grow and develop his game.”
Meanwhile, the Crusaders have retained one of their numerous All Black props in George Bower, with the 31-year-old signing on with the Canterbury franchise until 2025.
An ACL rupture in round six of Super Rugby Pacific sidelined Bower for the season and ended the 22-Test All Black's World Cup hopes.
“I’m so excited to be staying on with the Crusaders for another two seasons,” Bower said.
“This team means a lot to me. It’s a team that’s provided me with so much opportunity. The culture, the place and most importantly the people – these are the reasons I love this team and why I want to continue to play my rugby here.
“My recovery and rehab is coming along well and it’s given me time to focus on myself, which has been great.”
Bower's new contract leaves incoming coach Rob Penney with the luxury of four All Black props at his disposal, with veteran Joe Moody remaining with the squad as well as youngsters Fletcher Newell and Tamaiti Williams, who are currently in France preparing for the Rugby World Cup.
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Latest Comments
Perenara is super woke, the treaty of long ago is irrelevant to a game of rugby in Italy. By referencing it and claiming the countries going through tough times is clearly because Perenara doesn't agree with the democratically elected government of New Zealand that people from all ethnicities voted for. Perenara is making it divisive and political despite many of his team mates that wouldn't agree with his decision. The Allblacks saved this year's worst performance to combine it with the most divisive haka statement. Perhaps it's overdue now for NZ rugby to leave the haka for home games only, ensure that only the players that want to do it are included and never again have 'insertions' added by political activist players.
Go to commentsI expected a larger win than this and the ABs were off slightly whilst the rested Italians were well up for this and gave a real committed performance
Frustrating but a lot of those ABs forwards have done huge minutes this tour and Italy are not the side from the World Cup
Remember they beat wales and Scotland in the 6N
Drew with France and lost to England by 3
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