TJ Perenara admits that the financial security on offer in Japan was too enticing, leading the scrum-half to decide against waiting for the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
The 32-year-old will effectively end his international career by joining Black Rams Tokyo on a three-year contract.
Perenara will remain available to Scott Robertson for the rest of the current campaign, but the All Blacks head coach will lose his most experienced half-back from 2025 onwards.
The Hurricanes playmaker disclosed that while New Zealand Rugby made a compelling offer, the deal in Asia, which included an extra year, was simply too good to refuse.
“Maybe—I don’t know because the offer [to 2027] wasn’t there,” Perenara said when asked if a longer contract from the governing body would have influenced his decision. “We had an offer [from NZ Rugby] to 2026, which was a great offer as well.
“But that long-term security to 2027 and the prospect of that club [in Japan] and where the club is going is something that really excited me and something I really want to be a part of.
“So I don’t know [if I would have stayed]. It definitely would have made the decision harder.”
Perenara remains a vital part of the All Blacks setup and was named in the squad for the upcoming Rugby Championship, alongside young half-backs Cortez Ratima and Noah Hotham.
With Cam Roigard also in contention once he returns from injury, there are plenty of talented playmakers for Robertson to consider.
Though the 32-year-old might have faced more competition, Perenara emphasized that his departure was primarily due to family reasons.
“I’m really confident in my ability and my ability to push other half-backs in the country to be the best half-back that we’ve got,” he said.
“We do have a lot of depth there but a big reason for us was security as a family. The opportunity to sign a three-year deal in Japan arose and we didn’t have three years here in New Zealand so for us that was a big factor.
“Then the scope of what my career looks like post-that as well is something we’ve been talking about, so the opportunity to go there, have these three years, hopefully do really well with the club and turn it into more, and then there are some steps after my playing career hopefully there as well.”
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