All Blacks centre Reiko Ioane will join the Irish club Leinster next season on a sabbatical break.
The 28-year-old had a sabbatical clause in his contract which allows him to skip one Super Rugby Pacific season with the Blues and spend six months abroad.
He follows in the footsteps of Jordie Barrett, who joined Leinster last year on a short-term deal.
Despite this temporary move, Ioane remains contracted with the All Blacks through to the 2027 World Cup, with his break set for the December-June window.
“I’ll be heading to Leinster at the end of the year on a sabbatical break,” Ioane posted on Instagram on Wednesday.
“It’s an exciting opportunity to play in Ireland for an iconic team, grow my game and experience something different with my family. Will be back refreshed and ready to rock the second half of 2026. Until then locked in with my blues brothers.”
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There is some irony in Ioane’s move given his past long-running feud with former Ireland captain and Leinster player Johnny Sexton, which began when the All Blacks defeated Ireland in the 2023 World Cup quarterfinals, and which has caused some backlash from Irish media.
“We are thrilled to confirm the signing of Rieko on a seven-month contract which will come into effect after this year’s Autumn Nations Series fixtures,” Leinster head coach Leo Cullen said in a statement. “Similar to our current arrangement with Jordie, we’d like to thank the NZRU for their help facilitating the move.
“Rieko is a world-class, 81-cap All Black who has been operating at the very top level of the international game and Super Rugby for many seasons.
“He is an exciting, versatile outside back who will bring pace, rugby skills and experience to Leinster. That experience will add massive value to the group here and our younger players especially will learn so much from seeing how Rieko prepares, trains and plays.
“We can’t wait to welcome Rieko to Leinster and I’m sure all our supporters will join me in making him and his family feel at home when the time comes.”
Source: espn.com