All Blacks flanker Shannon Frizell admits that it is \u201clikely\u201d he will commit his immediate future to Japanese side Toshiba Brave Lupus, but he still has the 2027 Rugby World Cup in his sights.<\/b><\/p>\n
The 31-year-old has been in Asia since the end of the 2023 World Cup, therefore forgoing the chance to play for New Zealand.<\/p>\n
Frizell is now out of contract having helped Toshiba to a second consecutive Japan Rugby League One title and is weighing up his future, but he doesn\u2019t see himself returning to New Zealand<\/a> for the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific campaign.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s likely that I\u2019ll be in Japan for another season. Firstly, I\u2019m going to have a good break with my family and then we\u2019ll see what happens,\u201d he told RugbyJP.com<\/p>\n Set to return to New Zealand<\/p>\n While Frizell appears set to commit to Toshiba for next season, he has reportedly set his sights on the upcoming World Cup.<\/p>\n According to the New Zealand Herald<\/a>, the flanker will sign a one-year extension in Japan before moving back home ahead of the global tournament in 2027.<\/p>\n He is hoping to put himself in the frame for the World Cup in Australia having become a key part of Ian Foster\u2019s All Blacks team during their run to the final in 2023.<\/p>\n Frizell will likely follow in the footsteps of Toshiba team-mate Richie Mo\u2019unga<\/a>, who is also expected to head back to New Zealand in an attempt to fulfil his international and World Cup ambitions.<\/p>\n Mo\u2019unga revealed earlier this year that he is determined to feature in Australia in 2027.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously, I want to play in another Rugby World Cup,\u201d he told Sky Sport NZ. \u201cI\u2019m not just saying that, this is stuff that people haven\u2019t heard from my mouth.<\/p>\n \u201cI found a real true love for the game coming back to Japan. I wasn\u2019t someone over here trying to prove something.<\/p>\n \u201cI was I guess more in a giving phase where I wanted to help develop players, I wanted to help develop coaches and develop a team.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018This is stuff people haven\u2019t heard from my mouth\u2019 \u2013 Richie Mo\u2019unga makes big Rugby World Cup admission<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n Quite who Mo\u2019unga will represent at the World Cup remains to be seen, however, given that he will be eligible for Samoa and Tonga by the end of 2026, although his preference will no doubt be the All Blacks.<\/p>\n