Ioane tips Blues teammate Sotutu to make international switch in the next 13 months

Former All Blacks backrower Akira Ioane has tipped his Blues teammate and former All Blacks as well Hoskins Sotutu to make an international switch in the next 13 months if he does not make any more appearances for the All Blacks in that period.

Sotutu yet again did not make the cut for Scott Robertson’s 36-member squad for the upcoming November tour despite his fine form in this year’s Shop N Save Super Rugby Pacific season.

In an Instagram post by Ioane following the announcement of the All Blacks squad, he shared a mocked-up image of Sotutu in an England jersey and standing in front of London’s Houses of Parliament with head coach Steve Borthwick in the background with the caption saying “Wasn’t meant to be but all things happen for a reason” and then tagging Sotutu.

Sotutu only has 14 caps for the All Blacks under his name and the last time he wore the black jersey was in November 2022 against England in Twickenham.

He helped his Blues side win this year’s Super Rugby Pacific title and also finished the season as a joint-top try-scorer.

Sotutu would qualify for Fiji through his father and England through his mother.