{"id":20121,"date":"2026-05-11T01:30:26","date_gmt":"2026-05-11T01:30:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/20121\/"},"modified":"2026-05-11T01:30:26","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T01:30:26","slug":"all-blacks-depth-hit-as-star-blues-playmaker-eyes-japan-switch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/20121\/","title":{"rendered":"All Blacks depth hit as star Blues playmaker eyes Japan switch"},"content":{"rendered":"

Richie Mo\u2019unga\u2019s imminent return<\/a> from Japan may also have factored into Perofeta\u2019s decision, with Beauden Barrett and Damian McKenzie established All Blacks and Ruben Love stating his claims for more game time at No 10 with the Hurricanes this year.<\/p>\n

Perofeta\u2019s exit is expected to continue New Zealand\u2019s first-five reshuffle, too, with Otago and Highlanders playmaker Cam Millar understood to be on the Blues<\/a> radar.<\/p>\n

\"BluesBlues playmaker Stephen Perofeta runs in a try against Moana Pasifika. Photo \/ Photosport<\/p>\n

With Josh Jacomb set to switch from the Chiefs to the Highlanders<\/a> next year as he seeks to emerge from McKenzie\u2019s shadow, Millar could find himself relegated in the pecking order at the southern franchise and he is therefore expected to switch to the Blues.<\/p>\n

A move to the Blues for Millar could open the door for the 23-year-old to eventually seize the playmaking reins, with Barrett\u2019s future uncertain beyond next year.<\/p>\n

Replacing a 10-year Super Rugby veteran<\/a> such as Perofeta isn\u2019t easy, though. First five-eighths need time and experience, often honed over many years, to gain the confidence and game-management credentials required at the top level.<\/p>\n

Perofeta\u2019s expected departure will continue a concerning trend that will see nine All Blacks \u2013 and many highly valuable fringe prospects \u2013 leave New Zealand this year.<\/p>\n

\"BluesBlues and All Blacks teammates Stephen Perofeta (left) and Beauden Barrett. Photo \/ SmartFrame<\/p>\n

The end of an era looms for the Blues with Dalton Papali\u2019i<\/a>, Hoskins Sotutu, A.J. Lam and, possibly, Perofeta and Kurt Eklund departing their ranks.<\/p>\n

Vern Cotter moving from the Blues to lead the Queensland Reds next year<\/a> won\u2019t be the only departure from the Blues management team either, as Jason Holland prepares to take charge next season<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Elsewhere, the Hurricanes are set to farewell up to 10 players, with 23-year-old star wing Fehi Fineanganofo<\/a>, Super Rugby Pacific\u2019s leading tryscorer, among the high-profile departures.<\/p>\n

Devan Flanders\u2019 exit to Japanese side the Urayasu D-Rocks is another body blow as the dynamic blindside flanker comes into his own this year. Pouri Rakete-Stones (Newcastle), Riley Higgins (Edinburgh) and Isaia Walker-Leawere (Benetton Treviso, Italy) are other confirmed exits.<\/p>\n

At the end of this season, the Chiefs will also lose outside back Etene Nanai-Seturo and halfback Xavier Roe.<\/p>\n

\"EteneEtene Nanai-Seturo is leaving the Chiefs at the end of this season. Photo \/ Photosport<\/p>\n

Former All Blacks Braydon Ennor, Dallas McLeod and Sevu Reece are leaving the Crusaders. Hawke\u2019s Bay utility Jonah Lowe is departing the Highlanders \u2013 and Tanielu Telea could join him.<\/p>\n

While an exodus of fringe and former All Blacks is not unprecedented in the year prior to a World Cup<\/a> \u2013 as test-quality talent often floods the market following the global tournament \u2013 concerns are growing from those at the coal face of recruitment around New Zealand rugby\u2019s ability to continue filling the latest sizeable voids.<\/p>\n

Competition from rival sports<\/a> such as league and basketball is increasingly fierce and as rugby battles to retain teenage boys, the talent pool is under constant pressure from all angles.<\/p>\n

Liam Napier<\/a> is a Senior Sports Journalist and Rugby Correspondent for the New Zealand Herald. He is a co-host of the Rugby Direct podcast<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Richie Mo\u2019unga\u2019s imminent return from Japan may also have factored into Perofeta\u2019s decision, with Beauden Barrett and Damian…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":20122,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[15952,2296,15972,3279,15953,15954,14619,11854,15973,14858,10686,15957,13152,15969,10494,15960,14621,8,15963,2231,15971,15966,15967,14752,10642,15968,33,5524,1756,15955,15964,15961,4813,13695,15970,13181,15959,15079,15965,15958,15962,2413,257,222,15956],"class_list":{"0":"post-20121","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-japan","8":"tag-all","9":"tag-as","10":"tag-before","11":"tag-black","12":"tag-blacks","13":"tag-blues","14":"tag-contracts","15":"tag-could","16":"tag-cup","17":"tag-deals","18":"tag-depth","19":"tag-exodus","20":"tag-eyes","21":"tag-fringe","22":"tag-growing","23":"tag-highly","24":"tag-hit","25":"tag-japan","26":"tag-join","27":"tag-latest","28":"tag-leave","29":"tag-leaving","30":"tag-liam","31":"tag-likely","32":"tag-more","33":"tag-napier","34":"tag-nihon","35":"tag-offshore","36":"tag-players","37":"tag-playmaker","38":"tag-ranks","39":"tag-rated","40":"tag-reports","41":"tag-rugby","42":"tag-selection","43":"tag-star","44":"tag-stars","45":"tag-switch","46":"tag-those","47":"tag-topflight","48":"tag-veteran","49":"tag-with","50":"tag-world","51":"tag-year","52":"tag-zealand"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20121","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20121"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20121\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20122"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20121"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20121"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20121"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}