Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Ma'a Nonu re-signs with San Diego Legion to confirm MLR return

(Photo by Stuart Walmsley/Getty Images)

All Blacks great Ma’a Nonu is returning to the United States for the next chapter of his storied playing career.

ADVERTISEMENT

Fresh after his two recent appearances for Ngati Porou East Coast in New Zealand’s Heartland Championship, Nonu has announced his return to Major League Rugby by re-signing with the San Diego Legion.

The announcement comes more than a year-and-a-half after Nonu’s last outing for the Legion during last year’s MLR campaign, which was cancelled after just five rounds due to the outbreak of Covid-19.

Video Spacer

All Blacks react to 104-14 victory over USA Eagles

Video Spacer

All Blacks react to 104-14 victory over USA Eagles

During his first spell with the Californian club – who he joined after returning to New Zealand for a third spell with the Blues in an unsuccessful bid to play for the All Blacks at the 2019 World Cup – Nonu made four appearances and scored three tries.

At the time of MLR’s cancellation, the 39-year-old had helped guide the Legion to the top of the Western Conference with five wins from as many matches.

The move back to San Diego and MLR continues the common theme of Nonu returning to former teams for second – or, in the case of the Blues, third – stints.

In 2015, he made a long-awaited return to the Hurricanes, the Super Rugby franchise of which he debuted for in 2003 and left in 2011 after being dropped by then-head coach Mark Hammett, and helped guide the side to that year’s final.

ADVERTISEMENT

In addition to that and his three one-year deals with the Blues, Nonu was picked up by Toulon as a medical joker during last season’s Top 14 after being left out-of-contract following the cancellation of MLR.

That move, where he made 16 appearances and picked up both a yellow and a red card, came two years after his last outing for the French club after having joined them on a two-season deal following the 2015 World Cup.

Having made his professional debut for Wellington in 2002, Nonu brings with him almost two decades’ worth of playing experience to San Diego, including more than 300 professional matches, 103 tests for the All Blacks and two World Cup titles.

In this year’s edition of MLR, the Legion failed to qualify for the play-offs, picking up six wins from 16 matches to finish fourth in the Western Conference.

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

A
AM 43 minutes ago
'Freelancer' Izaia Perese shows the need for true inclusivity in Australian rugby

That's Cron's job though. Australia has had one of the most penalised scrums in international rugby for a long time. Just look at the scrum win loss percentage and scrum penalties. That is your evidence. AA has been the starter during that period. Pretty simple analysis. That Australia has had a poor scrum for a long time is hardly news. If bell and thor are not on the field they are woeful. So you are just plain wrong. They have very little time for the lions so doing the same old things that dont work is not going to get them there.


Ainsley is better than our next best tighthead options and has been playing well at scrum time for Lyon in the most competitive comp in the world. Superstar player? No. But better than the next best options. So that is a good enough guide. The scrummaging in the Prem is pretty good too so there is Sio's proof. Same analysis for him. Certainly better in both cases than Super, where the brumbies had the worst win loss and scrum pen in Super. Who plays there? Ohh yes... And the level of scrummaging in Super is well below the URC, prem and France with the SA teams out.


Nongorr is truly woeful. He's 130kg and gets shoved about. That just should not be happening at that weight for a specialist prop who has always played rugby cf pone with leauge. He has had enough time to develop at 23. You'd be better off with Pone who is at least good around the field for the moment and sending Nongorr on exchange to France or England to see if they can improve him with better coaching as happened with Skelton and Meafou. He isn't going to develop in time in super if he has it at all.


Latu is a better scrummaging hooker than BPA and Nasser. and he's the best aussie player over the ball at ruck time. McReight's super jackling percentage hasnt converted to international level but latu consistently does it at heniken level, which is similar to test level in the big games. With good coaching at La Rochelle he's much improved though still has the odd shocker. He should start the November games.

72 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING 'We just haven't got big people like South Africa': Ex-captain on new All Blacks 'We just haven't got big people like South Africa': Ex-All Black
Search