After New Zealand, Laumape intends to wear the colors of Tonga

Mathieu WARNIER, Media365, posted on Saturday December 11, 2021 at 7:10 pm

A few weeks after the Rugby World Championships was announced, Njani Laumab said he wanted to wear the jersey of Tonga, his parents’ country, as soon as possible after his choice with New Zealand.

Ngani Laumape no longer intends to wear the All Blacks jersey. Born in Palmerston North, the three-quarters center wore his home country’s colors fifteen times between 2017 and 2020. Aided by the workforce led by Ian Foster, Njani Laumab decided to put his international career on hold in leaving the Hurricanes this summer to join the Top 14 and Stade Français Paris. No longer under contract with the New Zealand Rugby Union, the 28-year-old is no longer a selectable two years after the World Cup organized in France. But it’s not out of the question to see him line the French prairies in 2023 under the colors of his parents’ original homeland, Tonga. In fact, World Rugby recently passed an amendment to its regulations that allows a sport’s nationality to be changed under certain circumstances.

Laumape will have to wait until 2023

Facing the press, ahead of the capital’s match against Connacht on Sunday in the Champions Cup, Njani Laumab made no secret of his intentions. “I want to play for Tonga. It would be a great opportunity to represent my father’s country,” said three-quarters of the position. I am proud to be a Tonga, so if selected I would definitely put my feet in the stirrup. But I still have a few years left and I’m focused on Stade Francis de Paris.” , if the possibility of changing citizenship is open from January 1, then the player will have to wait three years after his last selection to make such an application, which will then be considered by World Rugby. With regards to Ngani Laumape, such a request cannot be made before 2023, with his last pick with New Zealand returning to the 2020 Rugby Championships.