All Blacks Squad Named for Nations Championship Southern Series
Ardie Savea has been named All Blacks Captain for 2026 and will lead a 34-strong squad in the Nations Championship Southern Series.
All Blacks Head Coach Dave Rennie has revealed his first squad at Feilding Yellows Rugby Club today alongside his fellow selectors, Sir Graham Henry, and Senior Assistant Coach Neil Barnes.
The squad, which includes four debutants, will kick off its season against France in Christchurch on 4 July, followed by Tests against Italy in Wellington and Ireland in Auckland.
The 34-man squad is as follows (age, Super Rugby Club, province, Test caps)
- denotes new cap
Forwards (19)
Hookers
Asafo Aumua (29 / Hurricanes / Wellington / 20)
Codie Taylor (35 / Crusaders / Canterbury /106)
Samisoni Taukei’aho ( 28 / Chiefs / Waikato / 43)
Props
Ethan De Groot (27 / Highlanders / Southland / 40)
George Bower (34 / Crusaders / Otago / 25)
Xavier Numia * (27 / Hurricanes / Wellington / 0)
Tyrel Lomax (30 / Hurricanes / Tasman / 48)
Fletcher Newell (26 / Crusaders / Canterbury / 35)
Pasilio Tosi (27 / Hurricanes / Bay of Plenty / 16)
Locks
Tupou Vaa’i (26 / Chiefs / Taranaki / 45)
Patrick Tuipulotu (33 / Blues / Auckland / 56)
Josh Lord (25 / Chiefs / Taranaki / 12)
Sam Darry (25 / Blues / Canterbury / 8)
Loose Forwards
Peter Lakai (23 / Hurricanes / Wellington / 8)
Simon Parker (26 / Chiefs / Northland / 8)
Ardie Savea (32 / Moana Pasifika / Wellington / 106) (Captain)
Wallace Sititi (23 / Chiefs / North Harbour / 19)
Luke Jacobson (29 / Chiefs / Waikato / 24)
Anton Segner * (24 / Blues / Auckland / 0)
Backs (15)
Halfbacks
Cameron Roigard (25 / Hurricanes / Counties Manukau / 17)
Cortez Ratima (25 / Chiefs / Waikato / 21)
Kyle Preston (26 / Crusaders / Wellington / 1)
First Five-Eighths
Ruben Love (25 / Hurricanes / Wellington / 5)
Beauden Barrett (35 / Blues / Taranaki / 144)
Damian McKenzie (31 / Chiefs / Waikato / 74)
Midfielders
Jordie Barrett (29 / Hurricanes / Taranaki / 78)
Quinn Tupaea (27 / Chiefs / Waikato / 24)
Billy Proctor (27 / Hurricanes / Wellington / 11)
Anton Lienert-Brown (31 / Chiefs / Waikato / 88)
Outside Backs
Caleb Clarke (27 / Blues / Auckland / 33)
Fehi Fineanganofo * (23 / Hurricanes / Bay of Plenty / 0)
Leroy Carter (27 / Chiefs / Bay of Plenty / 6)
Josh Moorby * (27 / Hurricanes / Waikato / 0)
Will Jordan (28 / Crusaders / Tasman / 54)
Injury cover: Jamie Hannah * (23 / Crusaders / Canterbury / 0) will join the squad as temporary injury cover for Tupou Vaa’i until he is cleared to return to play following concussion protocols.
Unavailable due to injury: Tamaiti Williams; Scott Barrett; Fabian Holland; Leicester Fainga’anuku.
Rennie said his first squad as All Blacks Head Coach reflects the style of rugby he and his coaching team are wanting the All Blacks to play.
“We are rapt with this squad – players with the ability to bar up to the demands of test footy but also play with optimism and brutality. We look forward to connecting on Wednesday in preparation for three big tests against France, Italy and Ireland.
“Special congratulations must go to our four uncapped players. These men have each had an outstanding Super Rugby season and fully deserve their place in the squad. It will be a massively proud time for their families, friends and team mates.
“Congratulations also to our new All Blacks Captain, Ardie Savea, who we know will do an outstanding job of leading this team on and off-field. Ardie is highly respected by his team mates and cares deeply about the black jersey,” Rennie said.
Savea said it was a huge honour to be the All Blacks Captain and he would be drawing on the leadership from those around him and those who have come before him to inspire and ground him.
“To serve this team, its people and its fans is one of the greatest honours in sport,” said Savea. “I believe this role is about empowering everyone in the group to be the best that they can be – from the leadership, to the players and wider staff.
“A united All Blacks team has the power to unite a nation. And we are going to need all five million Kiwis to get in behind us as we walk towards the challenges that are waiting for us over the next 16 months.
“We pay tribute to those who have gone before us while also acknowledging that the responsibility of writing the next chapter in the All Blacks story lies with us. Let’s get to work.
“A special thank you to my wife Saskia and our three children Kobe, Keeon and Kove. The same to our parents, our extended family and friends. We are blessed to have a ‘village’ that walks alongside us,” Savea added.
The All Blacks squad will assemble for the first time in Auckland from Wednesday this week, before travelling to Christchurch at the end of the week for the first Test of the Nations Championship.
Today’s Squad Naming event can be viewed on Sky Sport Now, allblacks.com or the new All Blacks and Black Ferns app.
Nations Championship Southern Series Fixtures:
- Saturday, 4 July 2026: All Blacks vs. France, 7:05pm, One New Zealand Stadium, Christchurch.
- Friday, 10 July 2026: All Blacks vs. Italy, 5:05pm, Sky Stadium, Wellington.
- Saturday, 18 July 2026: All Blacks vs. Ireland, 7:10pm, Eden Park, Auckland.
Uncapped Player Profiles:
Xavier Numia
Wellington-born Xavier Numia has built a reputation for his powerful ball carrying and athleticism after being converted to the front row from the midfield early in his career. A loyal and passionate member of the Oriental Rongotai Football Club, he has progressed through Wellington, Hurricanes and New Zealand representative teams and most recently wore the black jersey for the All Blacks XV in 2023. His selection to the All Blacks is testament to his character and focus after overcoming a number of injuries earlier in his career. Numia, who debuted for the Hurricanes in 2019, was a cornerstone of the club’s 2026 Super Rugby Pacific title.
Anton Segner
German-born Anton Segner has taken an unconventional path to the All Blacks after arriving in New Zealand from the SC 1880 Frankfurt rugby club in 2017 on a six-month exchange programme with Nelson College as a 15-year-old. He quickly caught the eye of selectors at his new home and was picked for the New Zealand Schools in 2018, then New Zealand U20s in 2020 with his high work rate, physicality and leadership standing out. Segner progressed quickly through the Crusaders U18 and U20 teams, then a debut for Tasman in the NPC as a 19-year-old. His form and consistency led to a three-year Super Rugby contract with the Blues in 2024 and a move to Auckland where he has continued to grow as a player and leader. His influence was such that he captained the Blues with distinction through the second half of the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season.
Fehi Fineanganofo
Fehi Fineanganofo has been a try scoring machine since his secondary schools’ days at Auckland Grammar and nothing has changed as he’s moved through the early years of his provincial and Super Rugby career. A New Zealand Schools selection in 2020 his emergence in the public eye was delayed due to the COVID pandemic, but after being named in the Bay of Plenty Steamers NPC squad, then the All Blacks Sevens in 2023 his eye-catching talent had a broader platform. A standout on the World SVNS Series he was also a member of the New Zealand Sevens team at the 2024 Paris Olympics. In 24 games for Bay of Plenty he scored 16 tries, and since signing with the Hurricanes in 2025 he’s scored 23 tries in 26 matches, including an all-time Super Rugby record of 17 tries in 2026.
Josh Moorby
Josh Moorby (Ngāti Maniapoto) hasn’t followed the traditional pathway to the All Blacks, but his perseverance and belief has seen him reach his long-held goal after a record-breaking season with the Hurricanes that saw him score a Super Rugby all-time record 17 tries in 2026. A product of Te Awamutu, Moorby moved down to Southland in 2018 to play his first season of NPC rugby and earned a call up to the Highlanders in 2021 as an injury replacement. However, it was with the Hurricanes where he began to flourish after joining the club in 2022. Selection for the Māori All Blacks followed as he moved shifted again, this time to Northland. Moorby finally represented his home province Waikato in 2024 before a stint in France with Montpellier in the French Top 14. Thankfully for Hurricanes fans, he cut his overseas stay short and returned to the Hurricanes in 2026 where his speed, instinct and ability to find the try line was a major factor in the club’s second Super Rugby title.
