Lio-Willie earns All Blacks recall as injury crisis forces Rennie's hand for Nations Championship

Christian Lio-Willie has been named in the All Blacks squad for New Zealand’s Nations Championship tour of Europe, earning his first call-up of 2026 after a run of injuries decimated Dave Rennie’s loose forward options. The Crusaders No.8 is joined by Leicester Fainga’anuku as one of two new inclusions in what Rennie has described as his final squad of the year.

The pair were drafted in after injuries to Ardie Savea, Luke Jacobson, Ethan Blackadder and Shannon Frizell, with Simon Parker also unavailable for personal reasons. Fainga’anuku had himself missed the earlier part of the Test season through injury, while Lio-Willie spent that period working on specific areas of his game with Otago in the NPC at the request of the national coaching staff.

Rennie was candid about the process that led to Lio-Willie’s recall, acknowledging the 26-year-old had been under consideration throughout the year without making the cut. “He had a really good Super season,” the head coach said. “We had him in a non-finalist camp, and there were serious discussions about taking him to Africa. We decided that we had others who we thought might provide a bit more of a point of difference.”

The form Lio-Willie showed during the NPC ultimately tipped the balance in his favour over Semisi Tae’iloa, the Moana Pasifika breakout star who has since been signed by the Hurricanes. Lio-Willie finished the Super Rugby season ranked fourth in tackles and second in carries among Crusaders forwards, and carried that consistency into the domestic competition.

“We just think that Christian’s probably had a stronger NPC since we’ve come back,” Rennie said. “I’ve spoken to all the players who missed out, and they’re never great conversations for them to hear, but again, we’ve given clear messages around the little things that we want them doing.”

Rennie also issued a pointed reminder to those left out of the touring party that the door remains open. “You get an injury and then they’re on the plane,” he noted, a comment that underlines just how thin New Zealand’s loose forward depth has been stretched in 2026.

The All Blacks head to Europe chasing an inaugural Nations Championship title, with Lio-Willie now in line to add to his Test caps after successive omissions tested his patience and his resolve.