One-test All Black, Chiefs star Shaun Stevenson seeks early release for lucrative Japan deal
Wednesday, 11 December 2024
Chiefs star, and one-test All Black, Shaun Stevenson, is seeking an immediate release from his New Zealand Rugby contract to take up a big-money deal in Japan.
The 28-year-old, who is on the verge of becoming a Super Rugby centurion, having played 96 games for the Chiefs since his debut in 2016, is contracted to the Hamilton-based franchise and NZR through till the end of 2025.
However, reports emerged on Tuesday that the classy fullback/winger was set to make a dramatic immediate exit two months out from the start of the Super Rugby Pacific season, to instead link with Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay less than two weeks before the commencement of their Japanese Rugby League One campaign.
A well-placed source has since told the Waikato Times, though, that those reports are premature. Stevenson isn’t out the door just yet, but he indeed does have an offer on the table from Kubota, understood to be a multi-year, highly-lucrative deal.
It’s now a case of wait-and-see whether his current employers bow to his wishes of getting out of his current contract a year early.
All of this has come about in quick fashion, thanks to Wales veteran Liam Williams having late last month made a surprise exit from Kubota in order to return to the UK (since signing with Saracens) to be closer to family for the birth of his first child.
Kubota, coached by South African Frans Ludeke (who incidentally led the Bulls to victory over the Chiefs in both teams’ maiden Super Rugby final appearance in 2009), squared off with the Chiefs in pre-season this year, losing 35-30, in a Japan trip Stevenson missed through injury.
Their roster this coming season includes Stevenson’s long-time North Harbour team-mate, Bryn Hall, while the defence coach is Scott McLeod, the man who held that same role with the All Blacks when Stevenson was told by Ian Foster his tackle and contact work were not up to scratch.
That could have nearly been the end of his career in New Zealand then, having been one of the biggest stars of the 2023 Super season, only to miss the initial All Blacks squad, earn a reprieve by way of being an injury replacement, then eventually notch a cap in a changed-up side for the Bledisloe Cup dead-rubber in Dunedin.
It meant the then-off-contract outside back, who had flirted with the idea of a code switch to the NRL with the Dolphins after being courted by master coach Wayne Bennett, was persuaded to sign on for a further two years, in the hope of adding further test caps.
However, after not reaching the same sort of heights for the Chiefs in 2024, which included missing four games with a hamstring injury, Stevenson, even with Will Jordan sidelined for the July tests, was not able to crack the squad of new coach Scott Robertson.
The hammer blow then came in September when Crusaders utility Chay Fihaki was given the nod ahead of him to join the All Blacks squad as cover during the final week of the Rugby Championship.
The pair both went on to feature for the All Blacks XV − Stevenson at fullback against both Munster and Georgia, and Fihaki on the right wing then on the bench − but with the likes of Jordan, Caleb Clarke, Mark Tele’a, Sevu Reece, Ruben Love, Emoni Narawa all also in front of him, not to mention the impending return in 2026 of Leicester Fainga'anuku, it’s easy to see why Stevenson can see the writing on the wall.
There is also, given his family heritage, the possibility he could consider switching his international allegiance to Samoa. And that would mean, after a three-year stand-down from test rugby, he could be available for his adopted nation a year out from the next World Cup.
If Stevenson’s departure is indeed rubber-stamped by NZR, it would be a big blow to the Chiefs’ hopes of going one step further than their runners-up finishes of the past two years. However, they do have some handy backup.
It’s worth remembering Stevenson didn’t even feature in their splendid semifinal win this year over the Hurricanes in Wellington, with Etene Nanai-Seturo having proven a fine fill-in at fullback and Daniel Rona looking more than comfortable when moving from the midfield to wing. Added to that, the Chiefs now also have another fullback option in Kaleb Trask back from injury, and have former All Blacks Sevens flyer Leroy Carter in their ranks, too.
The Stevenson news comes just a day after another Chiefs one-test All Black, Aidan Ross, announced he would be departing at the end of next season to join the Reds in Queensland.
The 29-year-old made his international debut against Ireland in Dunedin in 2022, but hasn’t been required since, and the Gosford-born prop will be able to switch allegiances to the Wallabies just in time for next year’s British and Irish Lions tour.