One Test All Blacks full-back Shaun Stevenson will return to Japan following the conclusion of the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific season, the Chiefs have confirmed.
This comes off the back of Stevenson’s request for an immediate release from his New Zealand Rugby (NZR) and Chiefs contract in December last year to take up a deal with the Kubota Spears.
NZR denied the request as they feared it would set a precedent for other players, but he was granted a short-term move to the Japanese club to cover for the departure of Wales great Liam Williams.
He returned to the Chiefs in round four of Super Rugby Pacific and has since helped them finish top of the table following the conclusion of the regular season.
Shaun Stevenson leaves Chiefs
With his contract expiring at the end of the 2025 season, Stevenson has now secured a move away from the Chiefs, penning a deal with the Spears until June 2027.
“Shaun has been a special part of our club for nearly a decade – not just for his talent on the field, but for the character and energy he brings off it,” Chiefs CEO Simon Graafhuis said in a statement on Monday.
“He’ll always be part of our Chiefs whānau and I look forward to seeing him shine in Japan.”
Stevenson’s decision comes after he rued the lack of feedback from All Blacks boss Scott Robertson after he was overlooked in 2024 by the new head coach.
“Just the lack of feedback and just not knowing where I sat in the pecking order,” he told reporters this week.
He added: “Obviously I was pretty injury-prone last year so I wasn’t expecting much, but I think it’s always nice getting a bit of feedback and knowing what you need to work on.
“I can’t change that, so I’ve got to do what’s best for myself and for my family. And that’s just part of footy, right?”
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Foley and Marx re-sign
Meanwhile, Kubota have also announced the re-signings of Springboks and Wallabies stalwarts with Malcolm Marx and Bernard Foley extending their contracts with the club.
Marx has re-signed with the Japanese side, who fell to an 18-13 defeat to Toshiba Brave Lupus in the final, until June 2027, keeping him at the club through to the next Rugby World Cup.
As for Foley, he has extended his contract for one more season.
The club has also confirmed the departure of South African hooker Schalk Erasmus who joined the side in 2022 from the Stormers.
Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/all-blacks-snub-leaves-new-zealand-after-lack-of-feedback-as-malcolm-marx-signs-new-deal
