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All Blacks XV prop to leave New Zealand after signing deal in France

Jermaine Ainsley. (Photo by Joe Allison/Getty Images)

Maori All Blacks and All Blacks XV prop Jermaine Ainsley will leave New Zealand’s shores at the end of the Super Rugby Pacific season after signing a deal in France with LOU Rugby.

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Ainsley, 28, started 13 of the Highlanders’ 14 matches last season at tighthead prop, with the hard-hitting No. 3 only providing impact off the bench in one clash away to the Brumbies.

Following an impressive season at Super Rugby level, Ainsley was rewarded with a call-up to the All Blacks XV – starting matches against both a Japan XV and the Brave Blossoms.

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But at the end of the 2024 season, the New Zealander – who also played for the Western Force and Melbourne Rebels – will head abroad to take up an opportunity with Lyon.

“At the end of the 2024 Super season I will be heading to France to join LOU,” Ainsley said in a statement this week.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time being home over the last three years and it was always a childhood dream to play for the Highlanders.”

Ainsley’s decision to leave the Highlanders is to a tough blow for the Dunedin-based club who will be eager to turn their fortunes around this season and beyond.

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The Highlanders were the only New Zealand team not to make the playoffs last time around, with the franchise missing out on points difference to the Queensland Reds.

But after an astonishing 52-19 win over the Hurricanes in Dunedin last weekend, Ainsley’s Highlanders will be feeling confident ahead of the upcoming campaign.

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As revealed by the club last week, openside flanker Billy Harmon will lead the team again this season. Harmon is the reigning Defender and Players’ Player of the Year.

“Billy leads by his actions – especially on the field. He’s very measured around his delivery of messages and he’s really calm, which is hugely important,” head coach Clarke Dermody said in a statement.

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“He’s one of our best players on the field and well respected by the team from what he did last year, and I know he’s looking forward to leading the team again.”

The Highlanders get their season underway at home when they take on Moana Pasifika at Dunedin’s Forsyth Barr Stadium on February 24.

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H
Hellhound 44 minutes ago
France put World Cup pain behind them with unbeaten run in November

France is starting to look like they are finally over their WC headache, although they were lucky that NZ had a very bad game. The Argies as usual is one game good, the next bad. If they can sort that out and be more consistent, they could become contenders for the WC.


NZ, Argentina (if they are more consistent), and now the Wallabies too is in an upward curve (can they be consistent?), as well as Fiji(as inconsistent as Argentina) looks like possible contenders. The Boks will be as usual a huge threat to defend their title. Things are looking up for the South, so the North should rightfully beware of the Southern Hemisphere threat.


With the French looking dangerous, the English with their close runs (mostly a mindset problem) and the Scottish seems to be the NH main contenders. The Irish is good, but not excellent anymore. They are more overbearing and with their glory days mostly gone with old players hanging on by a thread, by 2027 if they don't start adding in the younger players, they won't make it past yet another WC Quarter final. The problem is that their youngsters, while good is nothing special.


That is just 8 teams without the Irish that can become real WC contenders. Lots of hickups to be sorted still for these teams, excluding the Boks to become a threat. Make no mistake, the top Tier is much closer than people realise and the 2027 WC will be a really great WC, possibly the best contended WC ever.

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