Overview
- The Hurricanes confirmed blindside flanker Devan Flanders will depart after this Super Rugby season to take a contract in Japan, while staying available through the club’s title push.
- New Zealand Rugby selects only home-based players for the All Blacks, so moving offshore would halt near-term selection for Flanders despite his standout 2026 form.
- The club did not name his Japanese team, though reports point to a lucrative three-year deal that drew him away from Wellington.
- Assistant coach Jason Holland called the decision hard to take and said Flanders is playing the best rugby of his career, with head coach Clark Laidlaw praising his leadership in the defensive lineout.
- Reports cite local pay caps of about NZ$195,000 in Super Rugby plus up to NZ$55,000 in the NPC for non-All Blacks, as more Hurricanes and other New Zealand players confirm overseas moves.