Gallagher Premiership side Newcastle Red Bulls have signed Blues No.8 Hoskins Sotutu, who is set to arrive at Kingston Park on a three-year deal, according to Telegraph Sport.
The 27-year-old has 14 caps for the All Blacks but is English-qualified through his mother.
RugbyPass had reported in October how there was renewed interest from Premiership clubs in the back-row, with a possible England Test switch having been mooted for years.
His decision to decline the opportunity for an All Blacks recall for the autumn tour of Europe was seen by many as the ‘come-get-me’ signal that sealed his UK move.
Sotutu is expected to link up with the Red Bulls either in pre-season ahead of 2026/2027 or after New Zealand’s NPC campaign next November, with talks apparently ongoing between Newcastle and the Blues regarding his release date.
The Telegraph report says he will not be the club’s exempt “marquee” player.
The move immediately places Sotutu back on England’s radar.
He has not played for New Zealand since the 25-all draw at Twickenham in November 2022, meaning his three-year stand-down period is now complete.
He is also eligible for Fiji, but switching to England would require only that he plays his club rugby for an English side, a criterion that a move to Newcastle would obviously satisfy.
The prospect of an Enhanced Elite Player Squad contract, worth about £150,000 on top of his club contract, may well have made an English move the obvious choice.
RugbyPass and The Telegraph
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