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Lima Sopaga's move to Premiership confirmed
By Ian Cameron
As exclusively revealed last week by RugbyPass, Lima Sopoaga will be playing in the Premiership next season.
Wasps confirmed that the All Black flyhalf will be joining them for the 2018/19 season following his Super Rugby commitments with the Highlanders.
The 26-year-old has 16 caps and has scored 55 test points since making his All Blacks debut against South Africa in July 2015.
In the same year, Sopoaga helped guide the Highlanders to their first Super Rugby title, and has made 74 appearances for the Dunedin-based franchise since his 2011 debut.
The exciting No.10 claimed the Highlanders’ seasonal points-scoring record in 2015 when he amassed 191, and is also second-ranked in the franchise’s history for most career points with 701.
Sopoaga also represents Southland in New Zealand’s Provincial Rugby Championship. He joined them from Wellington in 2014 after scoring all his native province’s points in their 2013 final defeat by Canterbury.
Sopoaga was part of New Zealand’s U20 side that retained the junior IRB World Championship title in 2011, where he appeared alongside back-rower Brad Shields, with whom he will be reunited at Wasps next season.
Wasps director of rugby Dai Young said:
“When a world-class fly half became available we jumped at the chance, as that doesn’t happen very often.
“Lima’s track record with the All Blacks, Highlanders and Southland speaks for itself, and we believe he will be an extremely good fit both in our side and within the club.
“A big part of my job is to continually find ways to move things forward, both by developing our current players and when the opportunity arises adding to the squad, and I am confident this signing does this.”
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Latest Comments
Yet Ethan Blackadder was one of our best against the World Champion Springbok. When he came back to the Crusaders later in the season , he made a huge difference, ( a long with others like Codie Taylor), we nearly made the Play Off's. Ethan has plenty of rugby left in him. His family , Dad Todd Blackadder must be very [proud of him. Todd Blackadder was a 3 time champion captain of the Crusaders, '98, '99 and 2000.An icon in this area. Also twice captain of Canterbury , '97 and 2001 when we won the NPC and Ranfurly Shield winning captain in 2000.
Go to commentsIt's the same criticism of Dmac and Mo'unga as well. Sadly the way the game has been heading recently it's the only way to break down a defence, and a player of Lawrences nature would have a very limited chance at doing that because he's too one dimensional.
Noah Lolesio is your sort of player and that worked OK, but only because his team is far more creative than Englands for example. The highly organized Irish attack was also another that didn't require much from the 10, but that is now changing with Prendergast who is in that league mold like the most new age 10's.
So it is in fact your two which would require even more change to make the most of than Marcus Smith.
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