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Ngani Laumape posts intriguing 'goosebumps' tweet from Wellington

(Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)

Former All Blacks midfielder Ngani Laumape has ratcheted up speculation about where he will next play after posting an intriguing tweet highlighting the effect that the Sky Stadium in Wellington still has on him. The 29-year-old is currently a free agent after securing a release from his three-year deal with Stade Francais after the completion of just a single season in France.

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It was May last year when it was announced that the centre had called time on his 15-cap Test career after opting to take up his Top 14 deal. However, the move didn’t work out as well as he imagined and he has been linked in recent weeks with a switch to the Japanese Top League in Japan unless he is tempted back into the Super Rugby Pacific fold by the NZR.

It was August 1 when Laumape posted a farewell message to Stade fans after an agreement was reached to tear up his contract. “Thank you Stade Francais for the opportunity. Got to meet some amazing people in my time in Paris which I’ll never forget. Merci, Stade Francais. Wish you guys all the best for the upcoming season.”

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A week later, a short twelve-word Laumape tweet fired up his followers on Twitter. “Can’t wait for my first rugby game back wherever I end up,” he wrote, a message that resulted in numerous rugby fans from a wide variety of clubs around the world weighing in on the debate and appealing to Laumape to join their favourite team.

Fans of the Hurricanes were among those who replied and their hopes that Laumape might be lining out for them in Wellington in the 2023 Super Rugby Pacific season will be bolstered by the player’s latest twelve-word tweet which he published on Thursday. “Just got into Wellys…….still get them goosebumps driving past Sky Stadium.”

It was 2016, the year the Hurricanes won their first Super Rugby title, when Laumape make his Sky Stadium breakthrough following his switch to union after he initially forged his professional rugby career in the colours of New Zealand Warriors, the NRL side.

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Comments

4 Comments
K
Kerry 825 days ago

you are a leaugue player through and through warriors would love you back

W
Willie 826 days ago

Given the performances of all AB inside centres over the last couple of seasons, it defies logic that Laumape is not in the ABs.
Another Foster blue?

T
Tiwana 826 days ago

Play NPC mate and own it

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JW 24 minutes ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Where? I remember saying "unders"? The LNR was formed by the FFR, if I said that in a way that meant the 'pro' side of the game didn't have an equal representation/say as the 'amateur' side (FFR remit) that was not my intent.


But also, as it is the governing body, it also has more responsibility. As long as WR looks at FFR as the running body for rugby in France, that 'power' will remain. If the LNR refuses to govern their clubs use of players to enable a request by FFR (from WR) to ensure it's players are able to compete in International rugby takes place they will simply remove their participation. If the players complain to the France's body, either of their health and safety concerns (through playing too many 'minutes' etc) or that they are not allowed to be part in matches of national interest, my understanding is action can be taken against the LNR like it could be any other body/business. I see where you're coming from now re EPCR and the shake up they gave it, yes, that wasn't meant to be a separate statement to say that FFR can threaten them with EPCR expulsion by itself, simply that it would be a strong repercussion for those teams to be removed (no one would want them after the above).


You keep bringing up these other things I cannot understand why. Again, do you think if the LNR were not acting responsibly they would be able to get away with whatever they want (the attitude of these posters saying "they pay the players")? You may deem what theyre doing currently as being irresponsible but most do not. Countries like New Zealand have not even complained about it because they've never had it different, never got things like windfall TV contracts from France, so they can't complain because theyre not missing out on anything. Sure, if the French kept doing things like withholding million dollar game payments, or causing millions of dollars of devaluation in rights, they these things I'm outlining would be taking place. That's not the case currently however, no one here really cares what the French do. It's upto them to sort themselves out if they're not happy. Now, that said, if they did make it obvious to World Rugby that they were never going to send the French side away (like they possibly did stating their intent to exclude 20 targeted players) in July, well then they would simply be given XV fixtures against tier 2 sides during that window and the FFR would need to do things like the 50/50 revenue split to get big teams visiting in Nov.

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