Blues Confirm Rieko Ioane Will Join Leinster As Jordie Barrett Replacement
Blues Confirm Rieko Ioane Will Join Leinster As Jordie Barrett Replacement
Leinster Rugby confirmed the signature of Auckland Blues and All Blacks star Rieko Ioane as a replacement for Jordie Barrett for the 2025-2026 rugby season.
In a stunning development that is set to send ripples through the rugby world, All Blacks star Rieko Ioane will join Irish juggernaut Leinster next season, marking a rare and compelling shift from antagonist to potential fan favorite.
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Ioane, 28, remains contracted to New Zealand Rugby through to the 2027 World Cup, but like many senior All Blacks, he holds a sabbatical clause that allows a six-month overseas stint.
Electing to activate that clause between December and June, Ioane has chosen to bypass lucrative Japanese offers - where his brother Akira now plays. Instead, Rieko will follow in the footsteps of fellow All Black Jordie Barrett with a short-term move to Leinster.
The timing and destination are rich with narrative.
Ioane’s selection of Leinster comes less than a year after he clashed with Irish legend Johnny Sexton following the All Blacks' 2023 World Cup quarterfinal win over Ireland in Paris. Ioane famously taunted Sexton with a pointed comment about retirement and his flight home, an incident relived in Sexton's autobiography and which made Ioane a lightning rod in Irish media ahead of their November rematch in Dublin.
Ioane then led the haka at Aviva Stadium as the All Blacks snapped Ireland’s 19-match unbeaten streak. After the victory, he doubled down by posting a photo with the caption “put that in the book,” solidifying his villain status in Irish rugby circles.
But in an ironic twist, Ioane is set to don the Leinster blue, playing alongside the very fans he once jeered.
How the Irish faithful will welcome him remains to be seen, but the move adds spice to an already enthralling All Blacks-Ireland rivalry, with the two sides set to meet again in Chicago in November 2025.
Leinster, meanwhile, is reaping the rewards of Barrett’s sabbatical spell.
Last weekend, he earned man-of-the-match honors in a dominant 52-0 Champions Cup quarterfinal win over Glasgow. His form elevates his All Blacks credentials, particularly at the breakdown, and Ioane will hope to replicate that growth in Dublin.
For Ioane, the move offers a chance to break free from more than a decade inside New Zealand's rugby bubble.
Competing against established Irish internationals like Garry Ringrose and Robbie Henshaw for a starting center role, he’ll chase European glory, while expanding his rugby intellect.
But sabbaticals aren’t without risk. Injury or surging form from rivals like Anton Lienert-Brown, Billy Proctor or the returning Leicester Fainga’anuku could jeopardize Ioane’s place in the All Blacks’ midfield.
Still, with 81 test caps to his name, Ioane is backing himself to return recharged for the July 2026 tests - just as Barrett plans to do this season.
The Blues will miss his presence, but Ioane’s leap into the heart of Irish rugby suggests a player unafraid to challenge perceptions and evolve.
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