Hoskins Sotutu has caught the attention of top Gallagher Premiership teams Saracens and Leicester Tigers following discussions with England coach Steve Borthwick regarding a potential switch from representing New Zealand.
The 2024 Super Rugby Pacific Player of the Year, who played his last Test match for the All Blacks against England at Twickenham in November 2022, recently declined an opportunity for a recall during the All Blacks’ autumn tour of Europe. This decision came after he was dropped from the squad early this year.
Sotutu played a crucial role in helping the Blues secure the Super Rugby Pacific title this year. Although he would be eligible to join the England team in 2025 under World Rugby rules, he is currently under contract with New Zealand Rugby until the end of 2024.
While he cannot move immediately, both Saracens and Leicester Tigers have shown interest in acquiring him from the Blues, where he has scored 27 tries over 67 appearances. Saracens have yet to sign a replacement for Billy Vunipola, who transferred to Top 14 side Montpellier this summer, while the Tigers have lost Jasper Wiese to Japan’s Urayasu D-Rocks.
Sotutu qualifies to play for England due to his English mother, while his father, Waisake, hails from Taviya in Bua. Waisake is a former utility back for the Blues and represented Fiji in the 1999 Rugby World Cup.