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Report: New Zealand win tug-of-war for France U20 star
By Ned Lester
According to the French outlet Midi Olympique, France U20 sensation Patrick Tuifua has made a call on his immediate playing future, picking New Zealand’s Super Rugby Pacific over France’s Top 14.
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Born in the French territory of New Caledonia, Tuifua faces a decision familiar to France star Peato Mauvaka in regard to national eligibility.
More pressing though is the 20-year-old’s development, and after his second NPC season with Hawkes Bay, it appears Tuifua has opted to continue his journey through the Hurricanes’ development system with an eye on a Super Rugby Pacific debut.
After playing a starring role in France’s recent U20 Six Nations campaign, it’s reported that Toulon, La Rochelle, Paris, Montpellier and Toulouse all had heavy interest in the young loose forward, as did France head coach Fabien Galthié.
While the young gun’s French citizenship places him in a prime position to follow in the likes of Mauvaka’s footsteps, a move to New Zealand in 2020 to attend Lindisfarne College on a scholarship he earned while playing sevens has also places him just a year away from New Zealand eligibility under residency law.
With an opportunity to chase an All Blacks dream with the same club where reigning World Rugby Player of the Year Ardie Savea grew his game, Tuifua joins an emerging cast of young stars, including fellow Hawkes Bay youngster Harry Godfrey, as the next faces of the Kiwi heavyweights.
Should he earn a promotion to the top squad in 2025, Tuifua will join an already impressive cast of young loose forwards including new All Black Peter Lakai under new coach Clark Laidlaw in a team that finished top of the table before being eliminated in the semi-final this year.
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What terrible editorship, he is a young man not there to be 'won', he will do whatever he wants to do.
Hardly an NPC standout for Hawkes Bay. He'll head back to France eventually, he's young and just trying something new. So hardly this great coup it's been hyped up as.
He's very raw I think yes, spending half a dozen years here learning the game and then being able to demand top dollar but I feel like the academy's there would bring him to that level faster (needs more all year round work imo) and he'll still demand good money. Would have taken it while the money was being offered.
All the best to him for whatever country he'll choose to play.
Hum, he is still available for France. He played 2 games in U20 six nations thanks to an agreement with Hawkes Bay. Galthie may have sélect him for Argentina but he was injured. In these two U20 games his level was far from his team mates Castro Ferreira and Quere Karaba.
Yeah I still thought he looked promising and able in that competition. Not so much after he came back from injury though, so you might be more right that you know.
Hurricanes are going to be formidable next year.
😶😐 mmm.... wonder if the political tensions in New Caledonia played a part in this decision 🤔
Tru dat ….maybe feels more at home too
No Hurricane's maestro Head Coach was alerted by Hawkes Bay that he wanted to learn with all the new AB loosies candidates so he was given a development contract and will soon qualify in 2005 on NZ residency for a full Hurricane's one most likely. Clarke is building a SRP
dynasty!.....with NPC successes in last 3 years and his awesome progress so far with a very young team using his own theories of field space that he used with AB sevens
Has he or his folks any outspoken record on the issue?
Maybe his loyalty might weaken slightly but thats pure speculation.
Some NZ supporters probably should call time now on the righteous finger wagging at other nations re naturalized internationals.