Influential Blues star signs to join Beauden Barrett and Aaron Smith at Steve Hansen's team. Photo / Photosport
Influential Blues star signs to join Beauden Barrett and Aaron Smith at Steve Hansen's team. Photo / Photosport
Influential Blues star becomes the latest to leave New Zealand after this season — and more could be out the door. Liam Napier reports.
Tom Robinson will farewell the Blues this season as he becomes the latest, notable addition to join New Zealand rugby’s mounting post-World Cup exodus.
With hisginger locks flowing Robinson, the workaholic lock-come-loose forward, has cultivated something of a cult following since joining the Blues in 2019.
In the past five years his influence, whether in the second-row or from blindside flanker, on the Blues engine room has become invaluable. He captained the Blues at times in the last two seasons despite being surrounded by All Blacks Akira Ioane, Dalton Papalii, Hoskins Sotutu, Patrick Tuipulotu, Nepo Laulala and Ofa Tuungafasi.
Yet after knocking on the door of national selection for the past two years the Herald understands Robinson has, however, signed a multi-year deal with Japanese club Toyota Verblitz. He is expected to depart following the NPC campaign with Northland, and will leave a huge hole in both teams.
Former All Blacks coach Steve Hansen is highly influential in Toyota’s ambitious recruitment drive that has already secured All Blacks centurions Beauden Barrett, Aaron Smith and, now, the 28-year-old Robinson for next season.
Blues players Tom Robinson and Beauden Barrett are heading to Japanese club Toyota Verblitz. Photo / Photosport
The Herald understands Hansen is also in talks to sign Highlanders lock Josh Dickson, who was called into train with the national team last year and featured for the All Blacks XV in their two-match northern tour.
The Highlanders struggle to compete with their Kiwi rivals to lure and retain depth of talent, and are preparing to farewell influential All Blacks blindside Shannon Frizell at the end of the season.
Top League Japanese clubs are now restricted to three capped test players in their match-day squads. As non-captured internationals, Robinson and Dickson are therefore increasingly valuable assets.
From a Super Rugby perspective that duo represents the next tier of talent on the cusp of All Blacks selection. Losing any of that bracket, and the likes of Chiefs midfielder Alex Nankivell, who has signed to join Irish club Munster following this Super Rugby season, significantly hollows out New Zealand’s diminishing pool of established experience.
On an individual basis, however, these players often have the chance to double their earnings aboard and the conclusion of the four-year World Cup cycle is a traditional juncture for career-altering decisions.
Josh Dickson in action for the Highlanders. Photo / Photosport
Robinson, a product of Kerikeri High School who has developed into one of the Blues’ most consistent performers, battled concussion-induced vertigo last year which restricted him to two games in Northland’s impressive NPC campaign.
While he’s since completed a graduated return for the Blues, which included a stunning solo try in the round two loss to the Brumbies, that issue may have contributed to his decision to depart.
Alongside Barrett and Smith, fellow All Blacks Richie Mo’unga, Brodie Retallick, Frizell and Pita Gus Sowakula are set to depart following the World Cup. Brad Weber has been widely linked with a move to France; Dane Coles is retiring and Sam Whitelock’s future remains uncertain, too.
Barrett is yet to determine whether he will return to New Zealand after initially signing a one-year deal with Toyota.
Others, such as in-form Crusaders wing Leicester Fainga’anuku, Blues brothers Rieko and Akira Ioane, in-form Chiefs fullback Shaun Stevenson and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck are among those yet to decide their futures either.
