All Blacks wing Mark Telea dropped a bombshell on Tuesday when he announced on social media that he will be leaving the Blues to play his rugby in Japan .
As a result, Telea will be unavailable to play for the All Blacks as New Zealand Rugby has a policy in place that restricts selection for players who are contracted to clubs outside of the country.
Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel .According to World Rugbys eligibility rules, Telea, who has a Johannesburg-born South African father and a Samoan mother, would tick all the boxes. Thats provided he does not play for the All Blacks for the next three years.
And, weve seen something similar happen before. Ahead of the 2023 World Cup in France , Springbok bosses Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber surprised everyone when they brought Jean Kleyn into the fold. The then 30-year-old had played for Ireland at the 2019 tournament in Japan, but since he hadnt worn the green Ireland jersey for three years, he was allowed to switch to the green of South Africa.
In 2027, Telea could be in a similar boat as Kleyn was in three years ago.