Shaun Stevenson's NZ Rugby future in balance as he seeks early release for Japanese move

By Liam Napier

One-test All Black Shaun Stevenson is seeking to leave New Zealand rugby with immediate effect, but uncertainty remains about whether he will be granted an early release from his Chiefs contract.

The silky outside back is contracted to New Zealand Rugby, the Chiefs and North Harbour through to the end of the 2025 season.

The 28-year-old is, however, attempting to negotiate an early release from New Zealand Rugby to sign a lucrative long-term deal with Japanese Top League club Kubota Spears.

Stevenson’s enticing offer from Kubota has landed at an unusual time – a matter of weeks out from the start of the Top League season, after Welsh veteran Liam Williams cut short his Japanese contract to return to the UK to be closer to family for the birth of his first child.

While Japan is seen as the land of milk and honey for New Zealand rugby players, each Top League squad is restricted to three capped internationals.

Deals such as these are, therefore, rare for one-test All Blacks such as Stevenson. With Williams’ exit opening the door, Stevenson is keen to depart immediately.

Reports that Stevenson will join Kubota are premature, however, with multiple sources telling the Herald no deal has yet been done – and at this stage there are no guarantees it will proceed.

The Chiefs may not stand in the way of Stevenson’s desire to cash in with Kubota, but the timing is awkward after next year’s Super Rugby Pacific squads were announced last month.

With Damian McKenzie, Josh Jacomb, Kaleb Trask, Emoni Narawa and Etene Nanai-Seturo on their books next year, the Chiefs are not short of talented playmakers and outside backs, but allowing Stevenson to leave early would hurt their prospects.

Departing New Zealand players are often granted early exits from their provincial teams but New Zealand Rugby could view releasing Stevenson from the Chiefs as a dangerous precedent.

Fellow one-test All Black Harry Plummer will feature for the Blues next year but then skip a final provincial season with Auckland to join French club Clermont. Chiefs prop Aidan Ross is expected to do likewise with Bay of Plenty as he links with Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies following next year‘s Super season, after signing with the Reds from 2026.

Stevenson, though, is a different prospect for New Zealand Rugby and therefore a notable test case of existing Super contracts.

Stevenson’s request to leave New Zealand comes as no surprise after flirtations with switching to the NRL – he visited Wayne Bennett’s Dolphins in 2022 before signing a two-year extension with the Chiefs last year.

Another major factor in his desire to move on is that Stevenson’s quest to add to his sole test against the Wallabies in Dunedin last year appears increasingly unlikely to progress.

While Stevenson featured on the All Blacks XV tour to Europe last month, the All Blacks opted to call in Crusaders outside back Chay Fihaki over him, offering a strong indication of his place in the pecking order behind Will Jordan, Beauden Barrett, McKenzie and Ruben Love, among others.

Had Stevenson been recalled to the All Blacks squad this year, he is unlikely to have jumped at the chance to join the Frans Ludeke-coached Kubota team.

Former All Blacks assistant coach Scott McLeod works alongside Ludeke at Kubota, with Bryn Hall, Bernard Foley and Malcom Marx among their high-profile players.

New Zealand Rugby boss Mark Robinson would not specifically comment on Stevenson’s future during a media appearance in Wellington on Tuesday but indicated he was aware of the speculation.

“We always want to keep as many of the best possible players in New Zealand for as long as possible but at a certain stage you have to recognise they have careers and they’ve got choices they’ve got to make,” Robinson said.

“We had a fantastic crop coming through with the Under-20s last year, winning their Rugby Championship and performing well at the World Cup.

“It’s hard to deny there’s an incredible crop of young All Blacks coming through, many of which played their first year this year. Overall we think we’re in good shape as it relates to emerging talent but it’s always something we’re assessing.”

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission