Chiefs' Stevenson off to Japan club Kubota
- NZ Sports Wire
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 17 hours ago
Chiefs and Bay of Plenty outside back Shaun Stevenson's time in New Zealand rugby is almost over.
In one of NZ rugby's worst-kept secrets, the Chiefs confirmed on Monday the one-test All Black would join the Kubota Spears in Japan Rugby League One following the Super Rugby Pacific (SRP) season.
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New Zealand Rugby (NZR) turned down Stevenson's request for an early release from his contract in December but did grant him a brief sabbatical to join Kubota before returning for the SRP season.
Stevenson, 28, was disappointed with the level of feedback and communication from new All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson and his staff, not knowing where he stood in the national pecking order.
"Shaun has been a special part of our club for nearly a decade - not just for his talent on the field, but for the character and energy he brings off it," Chiefs CEO Simon Graafhuis said in a statement.
“He’ll always be part of our Chiefs whānau and I look forward to seeing him shine in Japan.”
Stevenson became the 11th Chiefs player to make 100 Super Rugby appearances, against the Queensland Reds in April, and started 10 matches this season in their run to top qualifying spot for the playoffs.
He made his Chiefs debut in 2016 under coach Dave Rennie, and played for New Zealand Under-20, Maori All Blacks, All Blacks XV and a solitary All Blacks test in 2023, scoring a try against the Wallabies in their 23-20 win.
Kubota lost the Japan Rugby League One Division 1 final on Sunday to a Toshiba Brave Lupus side coached by Todd Blackadder and with former All Blacks first-five Richie Mo’unga playing a starring role.
The Chiefs host the sixth-placed Blues in a qualifying final in Hamilton on Saturday night, as Stevenson tries to go out a winner in the coming weeks with his first Super Rugby Pacific title.
