Exodus

Bovidae

@arhs said in Exodus:

I have Ili and Nun at Rebels, Thrush, Kahui Mataele and Parata at Force, Cridge and Foketi at Waratahs, and Kautai, Frost, Brown, Samu and Sapsford at Brumbies and about 7 with Drua. Some left some time ago.

Frost, Foketi and Samu are a big stretch, as far as being NZers.

Yeah, all are either born in Aust or developed there.

Tiaan Tauakipulu is NZ-born and played schoolboy rugby in NZ.

SBW1

@bovidae What about Queensland?

bobily2

@sbw1 said in Exodus:

@bovidae What about Queensland?

Taniela Tupou and Suliasi Vunivalu - if you want to count them as Kiwi players.

Bovidae

Qld has 3 Fijians but the rest are Aussies.

Toni Pulu is another from the Force.

mariner4life

@bovidae said in Exodus:

but the rest are Aussies.

their parents all moved to the Gold Coast in the 90s

Nepia

@bobily2 said in Exodus:

@sbw1 said in Exodus:

@bovidae What about Queensland?

Taniela Tupou and Suliasi Vunivalu - if you want to count them as Kiwi players.

Nope.

Nepia

@bovidae said in Exodus:

Qld has 3 Fijians but the rest are Aussies.

Toni Pulu is another from the Force.

James O'Connor is probably the closest to a Kiwi in the Reds. Actually, he probably is a citizen and might have been a NZ citizen and not an Aussie one when he played his first Super rugby match.

bobily2

@nepia said in Exodus:

@bovidae said in Exodus:

Qld has 3 Fijians but the rest are Aussies.

Toni Pulu is another from the Force.

James O'Connor is probably the closest to a Kiwi in the Reds. Actually, he probably is a citizen and might have been a NZ citizen and not an Aussie one when he played his first Super rugby match.

Maybe technically, but there was never any real chance of him coming over and representing the ABs. At least Vunivalu and Tupou were actually in the NZ rugby and school system at one point (not that I'd count them as Nzers either, particularly given the length of time they've been away).

From a probabilistic view, they were much more likely to have actually played for the All Blacks, and im sure will be viewed by NZR as talent we failed to retain. I doubt theyd view JOC as someone they lost.

SBW1

@bobily2 I would say a good number in their squad do have at least some form of Kiwi lineage.

SBW1

@sbw1 Richie Asiata, L S Lolo, Seru Rotorua B.H.S, Feuo Fotuaika, probably be quite a few in their academy side, Queensland has a lot of Kiwis living in here.

Stargazer

Long list of players who have gone overseas; most to MLR, so may be coming back for NPC.
Some may have already been mentioned earlier in the thread.

Caleb Makene (Hawke's Bay) - Utah Warriors (MLR)
Isi Manu (Northland) - Mazda Skyactivs Hiroshima (Tope League One)
Jordan Trainor (Auckland) - LA Giltinis (MLR)
Marco Fepulea'i (Auckland) - LA Giltinis (MLR)
Tevita Sole (BOP U19) - NE Free Jacks (MLR)
Alex Johnston (Te Puke) - NE Free Jacks (MLR)
Mills Sanerivi (Taranaki) - NE Free Jacks (MLR)
William Talataina (Auckland/Ponsonby) - Old Glory DC (MLR)
Jason Emery (Manawatū) - Rugby New York (MLR)
Kalolo Tuiloma (Counties M) - Rugby New York (MLR)
Jack Heighton (North Harbour) - Rugby New York (MLR)
Sam Matenga ( Ta$man) - Seattle Seawolves (MLR)
Dennon Robinson-Barltett (Hawke's Bay) - Toronto Arrows (MLR)
Jamie Lane (Auckland) - Utah Warriors (MLR)
Brendon O'Connor (Hawke's Bay) - Rugby New York (MLR)
Will Tucker (Otago) - Rugby New York (MLR)
Nic Mayhew (North Harbour) - Rugby New York (MLR)
Tomas Aoake (North Harbour) - San Diego Legion (MLR)
Joe Walsh (Southland) - San Diego Legion (MLR)
Lolani Faleiva (Hawke's Bay - Toronto Arrows (MLR)
Ed Fidow (Manawatū) - Rugby New York (MLR)
Felix Kalapu (Auckland) - Old Glory (MLR)
Peni Lasaqa (Bay of Plenty) - Old Glory (MLR)
Kyle Stewart (Taranaki) - Old Glory (MLR)

Bovidae

The NE Free Jacks have 8 players with NZ connections plus Van Den Hoven.

https://freejacks.com/team

SBW1

@stargazer That is a sizeable contingent, sounds like New Zealand might be providing the core of some of these overseas competitions. I would imagine there would be a lot in Japan as well, including coaches as well.

gt12

@stargazer

Nice to see you back!

Steven Harris

@stargazer was chatting to Dan Bowden at North Harbour stadium today about this very subject , not only MLR is taking players but also the Shute Shield Sydney where the game is already semi professional.

taniwharugby

@stargazer

Kara Pryor is at New York, Dan Pryor and Matt Moulds at San Diego Legion (although Moulds set to return for NPC)

Stargazer

@taniwharugby Yeah, I know; they signed a longer time ago. I've only listed the signings of the last month or so. There are plenty more Kiwis playing in the MLR.

SBW1

@stargazer There must be a good few hundred playing in all of the overseas competitions. I can remember an article over a decade ago which put a figure at 300 and that was mostly Europe and Japan.

ARHS

@sbw1 There are over 400 now, with a lot of players going to Japan or North American for the off season, if they miss a super contract. Japan 120+, France 100+, Americas 50 approx, Other Europe 100 approx, Offshore super teams 30+

Numbers in England and Guinness Pro 14 seem to be dropping.

SBW1

@arhs Offshore Super sides would mostly be Oz and Fiji, MP now that SA are out. England's rise has surely had a lot to do with the number of Kiwi coaches and players in their leagues, in the past anyway. Kind of seems we are exporting a lot of our rugby depth.

The Silver Fern

Exodus