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All Blacks centre Rieko Ioane has confirmed that he will join Leinster next season from Super Rugby outfit the Blues.

A clause in his contract allows Ioane to skip one Super Rugby Pacific season with the Blues and despite interest from Japan, he has opted to link up with Leo Cullen's side for a six-month period, beginning in December 2025.

He follows in the footsteps of fellow All-Black Jordie Barrett who made the switch from Hurricanes to join Leinster for the second half of this season.

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For Irish rugby fans, Ioane was very much the villian following New Zealand's win over Andy Farrell's side in the quarter-finals of the last World Cup, when telling Johnny Sexton "to enjoy retirement and to not miss his flight home" following the Stade de France encounter.

More to follow...