The former All Black is playing against the Lions but is in line for a nationality switch to England
Hoskins Sotutu is playing No 8 for the AUNZ Invitaional XV against the British & Irish Lions in Adelaide and there is good reason you may recognise the name.
After winning 14 caps for the All Blacks, Sotutu is now eligible to play for England thanks to qualifying through his mother.
Sotutu last played for New Zealand in November 2022 so in theory could become available in November 2025 for England.
The Blues forward will play the Lions for the AUNZ Invitational XV, among 17 internationals within the matchday 23.
So with Sotutu being one of the main men to face the Lions and a potential England star, here are 10 things to know about him.
Ten things you should know about Hoskins Sotutu
- Hoskins Sotutu was born in Auckland, New Zealand on 12 July 1998.
- He is the son of former Fiji wing and centre Waisake Sotutu.
- Sotutu qualifies internationally for three countries – New Zealand through birth, Fiji through his father and England through his mother.
- He rose through the ranks at his hometown Super Rugby club the Blues, eventually signing a professional contract in 2019.
- His form continued during Super Rugby Aotearoa 2020 which earned him a call-up to the All Blacks. Sotutu made his debut for the All Blacks off the bench against Australia in a Bledisloe Cup match in October 2020
- In 2024, Sotutu starred for the Blues as they won a first Super Rugby title in three years with the back-rower named the competition’s “Most Valuable Player”.
- That same year, Sotutu also refused a call-up to the All Blacks squad sparking speculation that he could be looking to change nationalities on the Test stage to either Fiji or England.
- Reports suggested that Gloucester, Saracens and Leicester Tigers had all looked at the No 8 and that Sotutu’s agent had “explored options” in regards to a switch to England
- The biggest roadblock could be that Sotutu is under contract with New Zealand rugby until 2026 with no break clause meaning the potential England star will have to wait another year until he can consider a move to the Northern Hemisphere.
- Sotutu is among the Blues players who regularly participate in “Fit Walks” before the game, the trend of arriving to games in fashionwear rather than team kit.
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