Super Rugby Pacific: Hurricanes standout Devan Flanders weighing up overseas options, says coach Clark Laidlaw
Thursday, 16 April 2026
Of the Hurricanes’ Big Five loose forwards, Devan Flanders remains the only one yet to sign for next year.
One of the Hurricanes’ best in a table-topping side, Flanders is weighing up his options, says coach Clark Laidlaw, as rumours swirl in rugby circles of a Japan contract at season’s end.
Whether new All Blacks coach Dave Rennie and his fellow selectors ink a red circle around the 26-year-old Hawke’s Bay product’s name in June - amid a packed list of loose forward contenders - could decide his immediate future in New Zealand.
“He’s definitely thinking, does he stay or does he go? I’m sure he’s got interest here, both for higher honours and from us, as he does from overseas,” Laidlaw said on Thursday.
“He’s going to be one of those players in the sweet spot of playing his best rugby, and how long does he stay in New Zealand, does he become an All Black?”
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Saturday’s mouth-watering clash with the Chiefs in Hamilton could go a long way towards that. Flanders, an All Blacks XV tourist last year, is the only uncapped one of the six starting loosies: Hurricanes Du’Plessis Kirifi and Peter Lakai, and Chiefs Simon Parker, Samipeni Finau and Luke Jacobson - plus Wallace Sititi off the bench.
Super Rugby players who aren’t All Blacks earn a maximum of $195,000 under the collective agreement, plus NPC deals of up to $55,000. Laidlaw previously said non-All Blacks could earn quadruple that in Japan. The big money for All Blacks comes from NZ Rugby’s annual retainers.
“Certainly financially, if you’re not an All Black in this country the money you can make elsewhere is just night and day. We know that’s a challenge at Super Rugby level,” Laidlaw said.
After injury wrecked a fair chunk of his season last year, all Flanders can do is continue playing out of his skin and hope the selectors take notice. On current form they will be, with his powerful ball carrying ranging out wide and bruising defence in a side who’ve conceded just 117 points in seven matches.
Said Laidlaw: “He’s had an amazing start to the season and shown that real consistency he’s been striving for over the last 2-3 years. There’s that maturity and I feel like he really trusts himself at the minute… he’s really thriving so fingers crossed he’s around and if he can get higher honours that’ll be helpful, probably.”
Kirifi, Lakai, Brayden Iose and Brad Shields are all on the Hurricanes’ books for 2027.
Another Hurricanes standout - winger Fehi Fineanganofo - put pen to paper with Newcastle Red Bulls (England) way back in January. Three months later he is scorching the turf and leads the competition tryscoring charts with 10.
A column by The Post rugby writer Paul Cully said NZ Rugby should explore every avenue to get 23-year-old Fineanganofo out of his two-year deal, as it did back in 2015 with Waisake Naholo and Clermont in France.
The former sevens flyer and expert finisher would undoubtedly be in All Blacks contention if he wasn’t heading offshore.
“I’d highly doubt it if he’s signed a contract. I’ve not spoken to anyone at NZ Rugby around anything like that. He is playing amazing rugby, he’s showing good consistency, and he’ll be challenged this week because the Chiefs are a good side,” said the coach.
Both starting locks on Saturday will also be gone at season’s end. Isaia Walker-Leawere is off to Benetton Treviso (Italy) while Warner Dearns - one of the best signings in Hurricanes history - only inked a one-year deal and will return to Japan where he is national team captain.
Having just turned 24, Laidlaw said Dearns had delivered the huge impact they hoped in the lineout and around the field, and maturity well beyond his years had also shone through.
As they chase a fourth straight regular season win over the Chiefs, Saturday will tell a story as to whether fans are right to think something special is brewing in the capital, 10 years since the Hurricanes’ solitary title.
Said hooker Asafo Aumua: “Definitely. I feel like that every year, but this year feels a bit different. There’s a few people leaving and I feel like we have to make the most of it with the players we have now, and hopefully go all the way.”