Canterbury rugby legend Richie Mo'unga ready to use NPC as launching pad for All Blacks return
Thursday, 16 July 2026
Richie Mo’unga insists his main focus is on playing NPC for Canterbury but he has thought about “every possible scenario” around an All Black return and conversations about his longer term future could be looming.
The 32-year-old first five-eighth is back in New Zealand after three seasons and two titles during a lucrative stint in Japan with the Toshiba Brave Lupus.
Mo’unga - who last played for the All Blacks at the 2023 World Cup - is hoping to be over a calf niggle for Canterbury’s NPC opener at One NZ Stadium against Auckland on Saturday, August 1.
Under NZ Rugby rules he cannot represent the All Blacks before playing domestic rugby which means he won’t be named on July 27 in Dave Rennie’s initial 44-man squad to tour South Africa.
But once he plays NPC he could potentially be called on mid-tour if the All Blacks have an injury to a first-five or, potentially, a fullback.
Otherwise he will have to wait for the two-match Bledisloe Cup series in October.
Both Mo’unga and new Canterbury coach Alex Robertson are expecting him to play deep into the NPC campaign, but the 56-cap pivot made it clear the All Blacks are still in his sights.
“To be honest, my mind has thought of every possible scenario as to what could happen over the next couple of months, and it boils down to one thing, and it’s I can’t control any of that,” Mo’unga said at Canterbury practice on Thursday.
“The best thing I can do is just be ready and to play some good rugby.”
Mo’unga said he likes to think he would still be capable of playing for the All Blacks and said there was “nothing else like test rugby”.
“While in Japan, the biggest desire for me [was] missing that arena, and missing the privilege to represent the country and put on that black jersey.
“It’s something I know just won’t happen overnight.”
He said he would need patience and a lot of discipline to make sure he was ready if he got the opportunity.
Mo’unga is contracted to NZ Rugby until the end of the 2027 season. He would then have to decide if he wants to stay around for the next big challenge - the 2029 British and Irish Lions tour.
He said: “Those sorts of conversations aren’t too far away, but the reality is that there’s a lot going on at this current stage with just coming back into this [Canterbury] environment with a team that wants to do some really great things in NPC.”
He said it was awesome to come back and connect with the future of Canterbury and Crusaders rugby.
”It’s certainly something I didn’t think I would do, but I’ve been really focussing the last couple months on controlling what I can control and at this stage it’s getting my calf right and playing good rugby for Canterbury.“
Mo’unga,’s presence is likely to be a crowd puller at One NZ Stadium 13 years after his 2013 debut, but he doesn’t feel he has a point to prove.
“I’m just really going to put my best foot forward and do what this team needs.”
His last game for Canterbury was a 23-22 Ranfurly Shield defeat to Taranaki in 2020 when Mo’unga scored a try and kicked five points.
Unless he’s on a SOS flight to South Africa, Mo’unga should get a shot at winning back the shield when Canterbury challenge Otago on August 9.
He said that was a big goal. “I think back to the times, [when] we lost against the ‘Naki, and you think about the first time you won the shield, [and] just the joy it brings, not only to the team, but the community, what the log does to the city of Christchurch when it comes home.
“Those are the things that I’m really looking forward to … and the environment and atmosphere of what NPC is.”