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Richie Mo'unga lifts lid on 2027 Rugby World Cup ambitions
By Ned Lester
Richie Mo’unga is determined to return to the international stage for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, a desire made crystal clear in a new interview.
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The All Black is currently playing his second season with the Toshiba Brave Lupus in Japan’s Rugby League One, with one year remaining on his contract after various parties, including Mo’unga, his club and New Zealand Rugby, failed to come to terms on bringing the seven-time Super Rugby champion home early.
But regardless, it appears all but set in stone the star playmaker will make his bid for international selection again ahead of rugby’s showpiece event, held in Australia in 2027.
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“This is live and exclusive, this is stuff people haven’t heard from my mouth,” he told told Sky Sport, in an interview with Tim Provise. “I want to play in another World Cup.”
“I do bro, and I’m not just saying that. I really want to play in another Rugby World Cup and that’s the thing you miss here in Japan, the world stage, really testing yourself against the best of the best of the world.”
Mo’unga last donned the black jersey in the 2023 Rugby World Cup final, where his side lost to South Africa by a single point in Paris.
Since that moment, there has been endless speculation over the 30-year-old’s international future, with All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson expressing his interest in having his former Crusaders star available for selection.
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The pair were at the forefront of the most successful dynasty in Super Rugby history, and while Robertson’s message of “we want our best players available” is a simple one, the coach has faced criticism for his pursuit of the star, with pundits saying it reflects poorly on the coach’s confidence in the All Blacks’ current premier playmakers, Damian McKenzie and Beauden Barrett.
Regardless, a return to the international fray looks imminent, and while Mo’unga offered no explicit desire to return to the Crusaders specifically to regain his eligibility, he did wear a vintage jersey from his former club during the interview.
Mo’unga brought his success from the Christchurch-based club to his new home in Tokyo, upsetting the undefeated Saitama Wild Knights in the League One final in his first season at the club. He went on to outline the differences of playing in Japan compared to New Zealand.
“There’s numerous differences. One is that the games are either at 12 pm or 2 pm; there’s no 7:05 games. Here, you wake up, you’re straight into the game, and then you’re home for dinner with the family.
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“And then obviously the game of rugby itself, the tempo is real quick here. One of the reasons is defence is optional – by me too,” Mo’unga laughed.
“It’s quite refreshing. We come from a country where people can be quite hard to please; you can be ridiculed for a dropped ball, media releases come quickly after a game. Here, it’s so refreshing, it’s like you’re in your own little bubble playing on another planet.
“No one really cares; they come out and watch the game, they cheer, then after that, that’s it.”
The move abroad appears to have done great things for Mo’unga’s relationship with the game, declaring his love for the sport and investment in his team is as strong as ever.
“I found a real true love for the game coming back to Japan. I just really love footy and the satisfaction it gives me.
“I think it’s because I wasn’t someone over here trying to prove something; I was in more of a giving phase where I wanted to help develop players, I wanted to help develop coaches and develop a team and see people be the best version of themselves.
“I think that’s been a really cool thing for me in my rugby journey.”
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All Blacks need BOTH Mo’unga and McKenzie at 2027 RWC.
Barrett will be 35 and his pace and skills are in decline and he rarely takes the ball into contact any more and has not for a few seasons, thus his tendency to kick first, pass second, run third. Barrett has this season in the All Blacks and then his time is up.
Hopefully Cotter starts Perofeta at 10 the rest of the Blues’ season and Perofeta steps up and finally reaches his potential as a 10.
Hopefully factors that can turn Barrett into a proper 10. He’ll need to go to kicking school if he’s to make up for the decline in all his other areas though!
After reading this article you think Richie is going to return to NZ? He wants to “test” himself SC, that means playing. He’s not going to risk all that money on Dmac getting an injury and giving him the opportunity he’s after.
How many teams is he eligible for? Just Tonga? The way Pellegrini is playing he might need to change his attitude to defence because the slow he gets, the further you get into the midfield.
Why would be great for Tonga. I’ve said it before, he’d be the worlds best playmaking 12 if he switched and it’s probably going to be the only way he can get onto the field in 2027 with Dmac and Pellegrini ahead of him. Would be great if he did come back to SR as a bargain but does he have an option for Fiji too if his nephew is playing for them?
The weirdest thing is that NZ have not developed more 10s.
By the time the next World Cup rolls around the Barrett vs. DMac vs. Mo’unga debate will have been going for the best part of 10 years without a single genuine contender emerging.
They divide opinion but all three ARE world class players. It is so strange that the last world class 10 to emerge in NZ was Mo’unga who made his SR debut in 2016.
will shift from which combo is best to who has the sturdiest legs on them still.
But you obviously haven’t heard of Patrick Pellegrini…
Richie was sorely missed last year and probably will again this year but slotting him in next year is a bridge too far. By 2026 we will have sorted out our no.10 issue and he won’t be required because if he is there is something seriously wrong with NZ rugby. However, Richie made his bed and both he and NZ rugby should have made a better deal with the Japanese. Complacency seems to be the culprit from both parties.
Yeah it seemed like on a recent interview Robinson was saying they pretty much get their man these days when contracting, saying they let him leave essentially. Not sure they’d go too much further out of their way to get him back if that’s what you’re suggesting should have happened. No doubt he ended up playing a lot better after he decided to leave though.
Have to think you’re going to believe something is seriously wrong with NZR come 2027! Seriously I can’t see much movement away from the 3 they have now, Dmac, Beaudy, and Pero. Some exciting talent coming through but I can’t see them having enough rough edges taken off to out bid Richie for instance. That said, having those three disrupted for a returning Richie wouldn’t be the best thing either.
Richie Mo’unga is in brilliant form in Japan. Following on from his genius as a number 10, being so pivotal to 7 titles under Razor with the Crusaders, 2017-23. Richie is badly needed. A mercurial , brilliant 10.
I hope he is great for either Samoa or Tonga at the next world cup. Imagine being the AB 10 who lost 3 world cups. You say brilliant but Im yet to see it and he wins at 72% which is anything but brilliant as aan AB. Leave the man in Japan. Very good at SR level. Cant transfer to test level sadly. I wont miss him at all. Plenty coming thru.
His comment that “defense is optional - by me too!” shows why form in Japan does not always translate well back to Super or International rugby. Time marches on and very seldom, do we pick up from where we were - especially from 3 years ago. Good to hear he has aspirations but I hope he has to earn it and is not an anointed favorite child who is given automatic selection overshadowing players who are emerging in much tougher environments. Razor has a tendency to stick with players past their “Best By” dates - Wyatt Crockett excepted.
It’s going to be interesting to see if and how Richie fits in with the current team without a lot his cohorts of the old firm.