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Six former All Blacks eligible for new nations in 2025
By Ned Lester
The new year brings with it the potential of new chapters and fresh starts for many of international rugby’s discarded or forgotten talents.
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Recently, we’ve seen the likes of former All Blacks Ngani Laumape and Charles Piatau line up for Tonga, Lima Sopoaga and Steven Luatua represent Samoa and even Alex Hodgeman don Wallabies colours thanks to World Rugby’s loosening of the eligibility laws.
So, who’s next in line for a potential shift in allegiance? Here are six former All Blacks who could opt to represent a different aspect of their heritage in 2025.
Hoskins Sotutu
Age: 26
Last All Blacks cap: November 19, 2022
Eligible nations: England, Fiji
Possibly the biggest name in 2025 international free agency, the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific MVP is eligible for both Fiji and England after last appearing for the All Blacks on the 2022 Northern Tour.
Sotutu is undoubtedly one of rugby’s great forward talents with the ball in hand, but a hard-nosed selection policy from All Blacks forwards coach Jason Ryan has resisted the 26-year-old’s X-factor.
Whether or not England’s Steve Borthwick could be seduced by Sotutu’s upside, resulting in selection and ultimately game time is yet to be addressed, but plenty of clubs in the Gallagher Premiership would be more than happy to aid in luring the star talent north.
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Borthwick currently has in his pocket one of rugby’s premier No. 8s in Ben Earl, which could place Sotutu into the all too familiar position of playing second fiddle, similar to his years spent in the All Blacks behind Ardie Savea.
There is, of course, the possibility that two successive years of All Blacks omissions could result in Sotutu ironing out the necessary crinkles in his game for an All Blacks recall, with comments from the coaching staff implying his defence is largely to blame for him missing the cut.
Given that Sotutu featured in the 25-25 draw against England on November 19, 2022, his eligibility for either England or Fiji is only valid from that date in 2025, meaning if he were to earn selection in a new colour this year, whether he’d appear for them or not would be dependent on how long his new nation’s schedule is.
The 14-time All Black is contracted with New Zealand Rugby until 2026 after signing a two-year deal in May 2024.
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Akira Ioane
Age: 29
Last All Blacks cap: November 13, 2022
Eligible nations: Samoa, Japan
2024 saw Akira Ioane thrive in a more traditional forward role after a career of coaches trying to unleash his athleticism in the wide channels.
In trading sideline steps for carries in tight, Ioane was a powerful component of the Blues’ avalanche-esque forward play and proved his versatility while signing off his immense Blues career with a championship.
Now plying his trade in Japan with Hanazono Kintetsu Liners, Ioane is out of the All Blacks picture entirely and can offer his physicality to his nation of birth, Japan, or the nation his father represented, Samoa.
Cast aside by the incoming All Blacks assistant coaches following the Kiwis’ turbulent 2022 season, Ioane will conclude his three-year stand-down period at the end of the year, when he can look to follow in his dad’s footsteps or throw his hat in the ring with Eddie Jones’ revolution in the Land of the Rising Sun.
Folau Fakatava
Age: 25
Last All Blacks cap: July 16, 2022
Eligible nations: Tonga
Rarely is a player available for a second nation by the ripe age of 25, but Fakatava’s promise and talent after breaking out for the Magpies in the NPC, before undergoing mentorship under Aaron Smith at the Highlanders had New Zealand fans thinking they’d found the heir to Smith’s All Blacks throne.
A cruel run of injuries has meant the Nuku’alofa-born talent has fallen out of the All Blacks picture entirely, even missing selection for the All Blacks XV in 2024 as Finlay Christie and Noah Hotham shared the honours.
Fakatava can return to the international arena in the 2025 Pacific Nations Cup should he wish to and should he earn the call-up, having played his last and only Tests for the All Blacks during the 2022 Ireland series.
He would no doubt be a huge asset for the ‘Ikale Tahi, where he could follow in the footsteps of fellow former All Blacks like Malakai Fekitoa and Vaea Fifita. Even if he doesn’t suit up for the Tongan side this year, Fakatava may well be present for the team when they look to assemble their all-star cast at the next World Cup.
George Bower
Age: 32
Last All Blacks cap: November 19, 2022
Eligible nations: Fiji
Bower was in All Blacks camp at various points in 2024 as injury cover, so is unlikely to stray from the team he is evidently on the fringes of. But, given he hasn’t actually donned the black jersey since 2022, the option to switch to Fiji is there for him in 2025.
Having torn his ACL in round six of the 2023 Super Rugby season, Bower was absent from the international rugby arena in the World Cup year and was subsequently overtaken in both the club and national ranks by Tamaiti Williams, having previously lost his starting spot to Ethan de Groot during the All Blacks’ pivotal 2022 Rugby Championship.
Bower came back from the injury in fine form in 2024 and helped a shaky All Blacks XV scrum do just enough to get wins against Munster and Georgia.
Pita Gus Sowakula
Age: 30
Last All Blacks cap: July 9, 2022
Eligible nations: Fiji
The Lautoka-born Clermont forward enjoyed just a two-Test career in black, contributing minorly in the All Blacks’ series defeat to Ireland in 2022.
His inclusion was subject to a brief wave of controversy, given his few minutes off the bench over the course of two weeks eliminated him from Fiji eligibility for three years. Now, having served those three years and moved to France, Sowakula has the ability to join Mick Byrne’s youthful squad – when the Top 14 season accommodates it.
The former age-grade Fijian basketball star would be eligible for the Pacific Nations Cup given his last Test cap was in July of 2022.
Aidan Ross
Age: 29
Last All Blacks cap: July 9, 2022
Eligible nations: Australia
Similar to Fakatava and Sowakula, Ross’s All Blacks career only lasted as long as the Ireland series, where he made just one appearance in Dunedin’s 23-12 defeat.
The Chiefs stalwart will play his final season in Hamilton in 2025 before departing for the sunny shores of Queensland later in the year, where he’ll join the Reds on a multi-year deal.
The shift across the Tasman could suggest the Sydney-born prop is eyeing another crack at the international arena in Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies.
The deal specifically begins in July, in time for the Reds’ clash with the British and Irish Lions on July 2. The Lions series has proven an attractive prospect for many Australia-eligible talents and with a good Chiefs season under his belt, perhaps Ross could put his name forward for consideration in the landmark series.
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The changing of national eligibility should only be from tier one teams (Six Nations and Rugby Championship) to tier two teams (the rest). Not from tier one teams to other tier one teams, or from tier two teams to tier one teams; even if there is a familial connection.
Residency qualification (after 18 years old) is bad enough. Residency qualification (after 18) should only be for tier two nations. The only exception should be, genuine, family migration (not just the player on a scholarship) - before the player turns 18.
Test rugby is becoming too much like club rugby, that you can play for whoever you want to (or the richest team).
Mate you should only be allowed to play for the nation that you either first played rugby in or were born in. How tf is Bundee Aki, the least Irish person on the planet, able to play for the Ireland national team? Same thing for Emmanuel Meafou, born in NZ, raised by Samoans, in Australia, played rugby in Aus until he was 18, and now plays for France. That is utterly ridiculous.
But this is only an issue in the North, all the players of some kind of PI descent often play for the country which makes the most sense for them. You can think of any player you like, but they all have some kind of real attachment to their teams, while these Northern teams are treating it like some kind of club competition.
And people get upset when New Zealand is called out for poaching players from other nations...
This old chestnut. NZ is full of fecking people from the PI, who move here in family units or get sent over for school. At least NZ invests in them and supports their development. Same can't be said for various other nations who just weasel in and snaffle them once they're ready to go eg. Fergus Burke.
Like Australia ......