Hoskins Sotutu: Former All Black on international ambitions with England or Fiji

Hoskins Sotutu’s first brush with the passion of the English sporting public came in the most unlikely of surroundings.

Aged 11, Sotutu had come over to Ipswich from New Zealand for the wedding of his uncle, which happened to coincide with the 2010 Football World Cup. While Sotutu cannot remember much of the big day, he has a distinct memory of being packed into a pub to watch Fabio Capello’s Three Lions play during their ill-fated tournament in South Africa.

“That’s one of the most appealing things for me coming to England, I know English fans are crazy,” Sotutu told Telegraph Sport. “When I came to Ipswich for my uncle’s wedding when I was young, that was the same time as the World Cup and we were in a pub when an England game was on. Everyone was going crazy around this small TV in the corner. That really stuck with me in my memories, just how passionate English people are about their sport.”

Will many of those same supporters embrace Sotutu, should the outstanding No 8 turn out for England in the future, having previously represented New Zealand?

Sotutu is adamant he is not yet picturing such a scenario. “I don’t like to think too far ahead because I think I will jinx myself,” he said. “I like to focus on what is in front of me and if anything happens off the back of that, it will be a blessing.”

What is in front of him is finishing his Super Rugby Pacific commitments with the Blues, hitting the ground running at the Newcastle Red Bulls this summer and then, if possible, getting to grips with the Geordie accent. “They say it is a special way of talking,” Sotutu said. “I ran into someone last night who was from Newcastle and I struggled to understand them, but I am really looking forward to getting to know the city and the people.”

There is a long list of New Zealand-born players who have represented England at test level, including Riki Flutey, who previously appeared for the New Zealand Māori side (since 2012 known as the Māori All Blacks). Yet not since Jamie Salmon in the 1980s has a man represented both the All Blacks and England at senior test level.

Sotutu could be the next and would be the first to take advantage of World Rugby’s three-year stand-down period which was designed to help tier-two nations, having last appeared for the All Blacks in 2022.

Sotutu qualifies for England through his late grandfather, Colin Mandry, who was from Romford but emigrated to New Zealand to work for an airport. His parents, Adelita and Waisake Sotutu, met as neighbours in Auckland and for years Hoskins lived in the same household as Mandry, who told him stories about exotically named teams such as Harlequins and Saracens.

“I am very proud of all my roots,” Sotutu said. “They are part of who I am. I spent a lot of my life with my Mum’s parents. They have lived in the same house as us up until a couple of years ago. My whole life he has always been there for me.”

Sotutu attended renowned rugby hotbed Sacred Heart College in Auckland. Initially, he was a back as his father had been for Fiji, before being converted to a No 8 at 17 years old. Within a year of making his first Blues appearance, he had been called up by New Zealand, making his debut against Australia in 2020.

As a back-rower, he appeared to be the complete package as a powerful carrier, lineout option and with wonderful hands to boot. But in a ferociously competitive position, he fell down the pecking order before the 2023 World Cup. Sotutu responded by excelling for the Blues in 2024. He was crowned Super Rugby Pacific Player of the Season and helped the Blues win the title, but that was not enough for Sotutu to earn a recall in Scott Robertson’s first All Blacks squad, which caused him to examine his options.

“It is hard to get a spot in that team when you have Ardie Savea, the best player in the world, and Sam Cane, who is the captain [Cane is no longer eligible for international selection after taking up a contract in Japan],” Sotutu said. “So you are down the pecking order and in 2024, I tried to put my best foot forward but things never fell my way. I felt like I needed to have a look at other paths. The Fijian route was appealing because my father played for them but I came over to the UK to give myself an entirely new challenge and Prem [Premiership] Rugby really appeals to me. Northern Hemisphere rugby looks like it would suit my game.”

Sotutu has had no direct contact with any member of England’s coaching staff but intermediaries checked on his behalf. Unsurprisingly, there was strong interest in seeing him come to Prem Rugby – and this was before Tom Willis’ unexpected signing for Bordeaux Begles, which has left England with a dearth of natural No 8s.

There was a stampede of clubs jostling to sign Sotutu, including Saracens, who viewed him as a potential replacement for Willis. Instead, the 27-year-old opted for Newcastle, whose message about the underdogs coming good seemed to resonate with him. “I was looking to the UK as an option and coming to the Prem,” Sotutu said. “Newcastle reached out and with the new ownership with Red Bull coming in, it felt like a better story. It was more appealing to have the bottom team and trying to be a part of that change and make them a contender.

“Everyone says it is a big party town and it gets pretty crazy. I didn’t actually know that and then when I signed, everyone was saying you are going to have a good time. I have heard the weather is probably the worst thing. Everything else is pretty good. It is a great city and there’s an amazing culture around sport with how big the football team is for the city.”

Sotutu will not be drawn on declaring his outright goal to represent England, but it is clear that is where his ambitions lie. This season, he has been carrying a niggly knee injury, but he is adamant that his best rugby lies ahead of him at Newcastle, which can in turn be a platform for a return to the test arena.

“I am still really hungry to play well and I have got my best rugby ahead of me,” Sotutu said. “I am keen to get to a new environment and use that as a springboard to become an even better Hoskins. I am looking forward to blending into a new group and a new city and making a change at that club. I still have a lot of years left in my career and I want to be the best on the park every single game. When that happens, it should lead to other accolades.”

– Daily Telegraph UK