Ex-NZ U20 centre Tamati Tua set for preseason in England with deal done

Exeter Chiefs have ended their long search for a new centre after signing up Tamati Tua, who has been the mainstay of the ACT Brumbies midfield for the last two seasons.

Sources from Down Under say that the former New Zealand U20 international has already jetted to Devon to join his new teammates for the start of pre-season after his commitments with the Brumbies ended.

Tua, 26, who grew up in Kaitaia at the top of New Zealand, five hours north of Auckland, started his career with Northland in the NPC in 2016 and had a couple of stints with the Blues in 2018 and 2022, making four appearances.

But it wasn’t until he moved to the Australian capital in October 2022 that the 6 ft 3 centre’s career really took off, making 29 appearances in his two Super Rugby Pacific campaigns, scoring four tries.

He made his 16th and final Super Rugby Pacific appearance last season in the Brumbies’ rain-soaked semi-final defeat to his former employer, the Blues, last month.

Tua, who can also operate at outside centre, had already told the Brumbies that he was joining the Chiefs, who moved for him as soon as they missed out on the big-money signing of Wallaby centre Hunter Paisami earlier this year.

Paisami, 26, underwent a medical and was on the cusp of a move to Sandy Park before Rugby Australia stepped in to offer a two-year deal to keep him at Queensland Reds and to send Rob Baxter back to the drawing board.

Australia has been a fertile recruitment ground for Baxter, and he quickly snapped up Tua, who has won himself a host of plaudits in Australia for the standard of his performances week in and week out in Super Rugby Pacific.