RIEKO BACK IN BLUE ‘TIL END OF ‘23

The Blues have locked in the services of All Blacks midfielder Rieko Ioane for another season after he extended his contract with New Zealand Rugby (NZR) until the end of 2023.

A member of the Blues Under-17 and Under-18 development sides, Ioane has been with the Blues his entire rugby career - he’s scored 45 tries and is closing in on 100 appearances for the club.

“I’m really excited to be signing through until 2023,” said Ioane. 

“My time with the Blues has been awesome. I love the turnaround we’ve had and I’m keen to continue building on what we’ve done as a team. With the All Blacks, I feel as though we’ve started something special. I’m looking forward to a huge end-of-year tour and putting in the work to get us in good shape for next year.”

Blues Head Coach, Leon MacDonald, said Ioane was playing some of the best rugby of his career.

“He has been with the Blues since he was a teenager, he’s been through our system and is part of our Blues family, so to have him contracted again is great news,” said MacDonald.

MacDonald went on to explain just how important Ioane is to the Blues set-up.

“He’s a leader on-and-off the field and is now in a position to pass on his knowledge and experience to our younger squad members. We’re looking forward to him continuing to be a world-class centre for the club.”

The former Auckland Grammar student also represents his province with pride, with Auckland NPC Coach Alama Ieremia glad to keep someone of Ioane’s talent in the region.

“We are excited to see Rieko committing to New Zealand and representing the Auckland Rugby community once again,” said Ieremia. 

With an eye to earning selection at his second Rugby World Cup, the 25-year-old has an impressive list of international honours. 

He attended an Olympic Games in Rugby Sevens, played for the Maori All Blacks and was Captain of the New Zealand Secondary Schools team. 

He is now into his seventh season with the All Blacks, where he has played 56 Tests with 48 of those in the starting XV.

All Blacks Head Coach Ian Foster was in charge of the backs when Ioane earned his first selection in 2016 and has witnessed immense growth in him as a player and a person.

 “Rieko is a young man with a massive amount of international experience,” said Foster. 

“To have his commitment through ‘till the end of the World Cup is pleasing for us. And hopefully for longer after that.”