Lack of opportunities tempts young Kiwi rugby players overseas
• April 8, 2026
Cruiz Overend (second from right) with fellow club mates. From left to right Harlyn Saunoa, Randall Baker, Lotu Finau, and Vili Havili. Photo: supplied
It's not just All Blacks heading overseas - even young amateur players are also seeking better pathways elsewhere.
Lack of opportunities are forcing players on the fringe of professional leagues to pursue different horizons.
Indeed, New Zealand rugby has an excess of talent with nowhere to go, says journalist Ben Smith in a rugbypass article.
New Zealand Rugby pays around 280 fulltime professional players across the men’s and women’s game only, according to senior sports journalist Liam Napier in a New Zealand Herald article.
Napier also said the provincial unions paid around 300 players each year for domestic teams and super rugby competitions.
New Zealand has about 155,000 rugby players, meaning opportunities to advance into professional leagues are few and far between.
Twenty-year-old and current Pakuranga United inside centre Cruiz Overend is someone currently on the fringe.
Overend, who finished playing for the Auckland Bs last year, is keeping his goals lofty, wanting to make the All Blacks. But her knows the competition is fierce.
“There is a crazy amount of competition in New Zealand, especially in the likes of Auckland.
“I think there’s always going to be more talent than opportunities here just because of how many Kiwis play rugby to a high level.”
Overend says he has been considering a move overseas to play but plans to see how far he can go in New Zealand first.
"I do want to see what the rest of the talent around the world is like.
“The idea of being paid to play a game of rugby and also build connections in different countries is very intriguing.”
Blessing Sakalia (BJ), a 20-year-old who played in Pakuranga's under 21 team last season has already made the move.
Now playing for Albury Wadonga RUFC in Australia, Sakalia thought it was time for a change of environment, and a different scene might help him grow as a player.
BJ, who trialled for the Moana Pasifika team earlier this year without making the cut, said: “That's when I sat down and realised it's really hard to make those squads.
“Even making those teams is just the start of getting your name recognised.”
Overend, a little closer to the professional leagues, says: “I have the talent to go as far as I want to go, but have to put in a lot more hard work to achieve the goal.”
He says he is still weighing up his options but has his focus on making the Auckland side this season.
If he doesn’t crack the side, he will have the option to seek other opportunities, with overseas competitions generally matching New Zealand's offseason.
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Our journalists sometimes use AI tools which are checked by humans for accuracy.
AI was used to transcribe audio from the interview.
