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Lima Sopoaga Tweets brilliant response to reports he's leaving Wasps

Lima Sopoaga in action for Wasps. Photo / Lynne Cameron

Wasps flyhalf Lima Sopoaga has responded to reports that he’s leaving Wasps at the end of the season.

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It was reported over the weekend that the former All Blacks playmaker was leaving the Coventry based outfit, having decided not to take up the option of an extra year at the club.

Sopoaga took to Twitter to dispell the rumours in typically humourous fashion.

“If everything rumoured about me were true, I’d be in five different places in the world at once, 7 foot tall and playing for the Lakers… ok the last two aren’t rumours, just my dreams.”

“I’m not going anywhere. If you wanna find me, I’ll be chasing my 2 year old on her scooter around Leamington.”

On the weekend Jacob Umaga, who also signed a new first-team contract this week, started at fly-half ahead of Sopoaga after last weekend’s man-of-the-match performance in a European win over Agen. It was a selection that fuelled rumours of an exit by the former Highlanders pivot.

The 28-year-old has 16 caps and has scored 55 test points since making his All Blacks debut against South Africa in July 2015.

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In the same year, Sopoaga helped guide the Highlanders to their first Super Rugby title, and made over 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 represented 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.

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M
MA 3 hours ago
How the four-team format will help the Wallabies defeat the Lions

In regards to Mack Hansen, Tuipoloto and others who talent wasnt 'seen'..

If we look at acting, soccer and cricket as examples, Hugh Jackman, the Heminsworths in acting; Keith Urban in Nashville, Mike Hussey and various cricketers who played in UK and made the Australian team; and many soccer players playing overseas.


My opinion is that perhaps the ' 'potential' or latent talent is there, but it's just below the surface.


ANd that decision, as made by Tane Edmed, Noah, Will Skelton to go overseas is the catalyst to activate the latent and bring it to the surface.


Based on my personal experience of leaving Oz and spending 14 months o/s, I was fully away from home and all usual support systems and past memories that reminded me of the past.


Ooverseas, they weren't there. I had t o survive, I could invent myself as who I wanted, and there was no one to blame but me.


It bought me alive, focused my efforts towards what I wanted and people largely accepted me for who I was and how I turned up.


So my suggestion is to make overseas scholarships for younger players and older too so they can benefit from the value offered by overseas coaching acumen, established systems, higher intensity competition which like the pressure that turns coal into diamonds, can produce more Skeltons, Arnold's, Kellaways and the like.


After the Lion's tour say, create 20 x $10,000 scholarships for players to travel and play overseas.


Set up a HECS style arrangement if necessary to recycle these funds ongoingly.


Ooverseas travel, like parenthood or difficult life situations brings out people's physical and emotional strengths in my own experiences, let's use it in rugby.

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