Ardie Savea eyed for cross-code switch to NRL's PNG Chiefs after 2027 World Cup

All Blacks captain Ardie Savea has emerged as a surprise target for NRL expansion outfit PNG Chiefs, who are set to enter the competition in 2028 and are reportedly interested in luring the back-row star into a cross-code switch.

Savea, 32, is the reigning 2023 World Rugby Player of the Year and has spent the past two seasons in Japan with Kobelco Kobe Steelers, where he helped the club claim the Japan Rugby League One title. He is set to join the Blues next season following the collapse of Moana Pasifika. His current NZ Rugby deal expires after the 2027 Rugby World Cup, and whispers are growing that the Chiefs — who offer tax-free salaries — have identified him as an ambitious target. Leinster have also been linked with the flanker, while a return to Japan remains a financially attractive option.

In the Gallagher Premiership, Harlequins have tied down England under-20 scrum-half Lucas Friday on a new three-year contract running until 2029. Friday, 20 and the son of former England sevens head coach Mike Friday, broke through last season with eight starts in 15 appearances for Quins. Nicknamed ‘The Truth’ by his team-mates, he is widely regarded within the club as the long-term heir to Danny Care at the Twickenham Stoop.

In the United Rugby Championship, Stormers winger Suleiman Hartzenberg has joined the Sharks on a season-long loan deal running until the end of June 2027. The former Baby Bok, who can also play in the centres, missed much of last season with a fracture that limited him to seven appearances. He arrives in Durban looking to rediscover the form that brought him seven tries in 16 games in 2024-25, and will bolster a Sharks squad that was ravaged by injuries last season — at one point leaving JP Pietersen without 22 players.

Freedagent back-row Freddie Lockwood, one of 27 players released by Newcastle Red Bulls at the end of last season, is in talks with Championship side Ealing Trailfinders over a potential move. Lockwood, 25, made 85 appearances for the Red Bulls and can operate across the entire back row, though a deal is reported to be some way from completion. Ealing are looking to rebuild after a play-off defeat to Worcester Warriors, who became the first team since April 2025 to win at the West London club.

Finally, former England winger Jonny May has taken his first steps in coaching, joining the staff at French Pro D2 side Soyaux Angoulême XV Charente — the club where he ended his playing career last season. May, 36, earned 80 England caps and scored eight tries in 28 games for the Stade Chanzy-based outfit across the final two seasons of a 17-year career that also included spells at Gloucester and Leicester Tigers. He has been appointed to a role focused on individual performance support.