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Crusaders' big mover Leicester Fainga'anuku staying in Christchurch

Leicester Fainga'anuku and Will Jordan. (Photo by Martin Hunter/Photosport)

When contracts at the Crusaders come to an end, there’s always a threat that players will head elsewhere around New Zealand due to the depth at the Christchurch franchise’s disposal.

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Usually, however, the off-contract players tend to stay put – such is the commitment that they have to the culture in Crusaders country.

Bulldozing outside back Leicester Fainga’anuku has become the latest to extend his time with the Super Rugby Aotearoa champions, agreeing to a new deal that will keep him in Christchurch until 2023.

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Fainga’anuku joined the Crusaders in 2019 but made just one appearance in his debut season. Last year, the 21-year-old featured regularly off the bench in the Crusaders’ title-winning run while in 2020, he’s become a staple selection in the side, running out at centre or on the wing 13 times this season.

Fainga’anuku joins Sam Whitelock, Scott Barrett, Quinten Strange, Mitchell Dunshea, Tom Christie, Cullen Grace, Mitchell Drummond, Jack Goodhue, David Havili and Braydon Ennor as players signed with the Crusaders through to 2023 or beyond.

At 1.88m tall and well over 100kgs, Fainga’anuku is a wrecking-ball in the midfield and exactly the type of player that Ian Foster could be looking to bring into the All Blacks fold this year, especially with Ngani Laumape heading to France.

While he’s had ample minutes at centre in 2021, Fainga’anuku has been used primarily on the wing since Braydon Ennor returned to full fitness, but he’s slowly becoming accustomed to switching between the roles.

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Fainga’anuku was almost lost to the 15-man code, having focussed on rugby league during his formative years.

Days before he headed to Sydney to sign a contract with the NRL’s Roosters, Tasman made a bold play for the then-15-year-old and Fainga’anuku made the decision to remain in New Zealand and play union – after a little bit of gentle guidance from his father.

“The way he spoke to me, I knew the contract was quite a serious thing,” Faina’anuku previously told The XV. “At the same time, I was thinking, ‘Man, I’m leaving tomorrow. I’m meant to fly out of here and sign with the Roosters.’

“I was hardcore into rugby league, my dreams and aspirations were rugby league, but then with my old man, talking to him, I sort of did it, put pen to paper, just for him. I knew that he always wanted me to play union.”

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Fainga’anuku will continue to battle it out with the likes of Ennor, Havili, Goodhue, Sevu Reece, George Bridge and Will Jordan for a regular starting spot in the Crusaders while there’s naturally even greater competition for opportunities with the All Blacks.

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J
JW 7 hours ago
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Have to imagine it was a one off sorta thing were they were there (saying playing against the best private schools) because that is the level they could play at. I think I got carried away and misintrepted what you were saying, or maybe it was just that I thought it was something that should be brought in.


Of course now school is seen as so much more important, and sports as much more important to schooling, that those rural/public gets get these scholarships/free entry to play at private schools.


This might only be relevant in the tradition private rugby schools, so not worth implementing, but the same drain has been seen in NZ to the point where the public schools are not just impacted by the lost of their best talent to private schools, there is a whole flow on effect of losing players to other sports their school can' still compete at the highest levels in, and staff quality etc. So now and of that traditional sort of rivalry is near lost as I understand it.


The idea to force the top level competition into having equal public school participation would be someway to 'force' that neglect into reverse. The problem with such a simple idea is of course that if good rugby talent decides to stay put in order to get easier exposure, they suffer academically on principle. I wonder if a kid who say got selected for a school rep 1st/2nd team before being scouted by a private school, or even just say had two or three years there, could choose to rep their old school for some of their rugby still?


Like say a new Cup style comp throughout the season, kid's playing for the private school in their own local/private school grade comp or whatever, but when its Cup games they switch back? Better represent, areas, get more 2nd players switching back for top level 1st comp at their old school etc? Just even in order to have cool stories where Ella or Barrett brothers all switch back to show their old school is actually the best of the best?

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