WELLINGTON, New Zealand – Three years after stepping away from full-time international rugby, and following an injury crisis that hit the New Zealand All Blacks squad ahead of their high-stakes four-test rivalry tour against South Africa, veteran playmaker Richie Mo’unga has been called back to the national side as an injury replacement.
The 32-year-old flyhalf, whose last appearance in the black jersey came in the 2023 World Cup final – a heartbreaking 1-point defeat to the Springboks that capped his 56-test international career to that point – spent the past three seasons playing club rugby in Japan with the Toshiba Brave Lupus. He returned to his home country earlier this year to get match fit in New Zealand’s domestic National Provincial Championship (NPC) turning out for his longtime provincial side Canterbury.
Under All Blacks selection rules, Mo’unga was not eligible for national team selection until he completed a required stint of domestic NPC play, a barrier that was only cleared recently ahead of the tour, which has been billed as a new chapter in rugby’s greatest modern rivalry between the All Blacks and Springboks.
Mo’unga departed Christchurch on Thursday to link up with the touring squad, which is already in South Africa ahead of three tests against the world champion Springboks on home soil, followed by a fourth test to be played in the United States. His call-up comes in response to two separate injury concerns in the All Blacks touring group: starting center Billy Proctor was forced to withdraw with a shoulder injury, while Damian McKenzie – one of four flyhalves originally named to the touring party – is carrying a minor ankle injury that has raised selection questions for the test series.
The All Blacks have already gotten their tour off to a strong start in warm-up matches, picking up two lopsided wins against South African franchise teams. They opened the tour with a 38-21 victory over the Stormers in Cape Town, then followed that performance with a dominant 54-0 shutout of the Sharks in Durban, building momentum ahead of the first test against the Springboks.