Latest news with #Tele'a
1News
29-04-2025
- Sport
- 1News
Blues wing Tele'a cops three week suspension
Blues winger Mark Tele'a has been suspended for three weeks after being red carded for a lifting tackle in his side's loss to the Queensland Reds last Friday. Tele'a's tackle on Tim Ryan in the 31st minute earned him a yellow card which was later upgraded to red. The Super Rugby Pacific foul play review committee found Tele'a guilty of a lifting tackle in contravention of Law 9.18. The review committee found the act merited a mid-range entry point of six weeks/matches. In a statement today, the committee added: "In light of the player accepting he committed an act of foul play as well as mitigating factors such as his prior disciplinary record, the FPRC applied the full 50% reduction in sanction." He was suspended from all forms of the game for three weeks which applies to the following Super Rugby Pacific matches: Blues v Western Force (May 2) Fijian Drua v Blues (May 9) Moana Pasifika v Blues (May 17) Tele'a, who has scored 13 tries in 19 Tests for the All Blacks, announced earlier this month he will play in Japan next year.
RNZ News
28-04-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
Rugby: Blues winger Mark Tele'a hit with three-match suspension
Mark Tele'a tackles Tim Ryan during the Reds v Blues Super Rugby Pacific match. Photo: Patrick Hoelscher/ActionPress Blues winger Mark Tele'a has been suspended for three Super Rugby Pacific matches for a tip tackle against the Reds on Friday. It is a big blow for the Blues, as they will be without Tele'a for three of their last four regular season matches as they try to resurrect their season and make the playoffs. Tele'a was initially given a yellow card after he picked up Reds winger Tim Ryan in a tip tackle 31 minutes into the game , with Ryan landing on his head. He was initially given a yellow card, but it was upgraded to red on review. Super Rugby Pacific's Foul Play Review Committee (FPRC) found Tele'a guilty of a lifting tackle in contravention of Law 9.18. The committee determined "the low-range entry point of six weeks/matches" was appropriate for the incident. "In light of the player accepting he committed an act of foul play as well as mitigating factors such as his prior disciplinary record, the FPRC applied the full 50 percent reduction in sanction. Tele'a will miss matches against the Force this Friday, the Fijian Drua on 9 May and Moana Pasifika on 17 May. He will be available to be selected against Waratahs on 31 May, which is the Blues' last match of the regular season. They have to win all four games to make the playoffs. The 28-year-old has taken up a Japanese club contract , believed to be a three-year deal with Toyota Verblitz, coached by his former All Blacks mentor Ian Foster. The move also puts the 19-test All Black's future for the national team in some doubt. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
NZ Herald
25-04-2025
- Sport
- NZ Herald
Super Rugby Pacific: Blues slump to loss against Reds, leaving title defence in tatters
The Blues have hope yet but after continuing New Zealand's staggering collective inability to win in Australia this season – stretching that barren run to six attempts – they have officially entered must-win territory. With their season on the line, the Blues' 35-21 loss to the Reds ranks as one of their worst performances of the year. From the malfunctioning lineout that lost four throws, to Mark Tele'a's moment of madness, indecision under the high ball, turnovers, blown chances and brittle defence, the Blues seem bereft of confidence. Vern Cotter could clutch for excuses. The Blues were without Dalton Papali'i and Caleb Clarke, and Beauden Barrett started on the bench after battling illness this week. But their basic skills and inaccuracy were alarming for a team that should be title contenders. One of the great frustrations is how the Blues can switch from losing to a match-winning James O'Connor penalty against the Crusaders in Christchurch last week to a performance that suggests they deserve to slip to ninth place. Having suffered their most single-season losses since 2019, the Blues must now claim their four winnable remaining games – against the Force (home), Drua (away), Moana (away) and Waratahs (home) – to scrape into the playoffs. Their failure to secure a losing bonus point in Brisbane could yet prove costly. The Blues will almost certainly be without Japan-bound All Blacks wing Tele'a for the next couple of weeks after he took a solid shot too far. In the 30th minute, with the Blues trailing 14-0, frustrations boiled over when Tele'a hit his opposite wing Tim Ryan hard but then tipped him into an unnecessarily dangerous position, leaving referee Jordan Way no choice but to brandish a yellow card that was soon upgraded to red. While the Blues eventually replaced Tele'a, his actions left them one man short for 20 minutes, and he now faces suspension for the incident. The Reds, down on troops, emerging from the bye and successive defeats to the Brumbies and Chiefs, rode their luck and goal line defence to a first-half lead. They then made the most of their one-man advantage, with Wallabies halfback Tate McDermott delivering the telling blow to expose the Blues' ruck defence. Five-tries-to-three was a fair reflection of the Reds' first win over the Blues in six years, although Cotter's men will rue blowing many chances to strike. After enduring a poor start by allowing Reds playmaker Tom Lynagh to waltz through for two tries in as many minutes, the Blues had ample chances to convert. Four times they crossed the Reds' line without converting, with a mixture of gallant Reds defence and inaccuracy costing the Blues. Finally, just before half time, the Blues defied their numerical disadvantage to break the deadlock with Kurt Eklund barging over after being twice previously denied. Late tries to Sam Nock and Anton Segner merely mitigated the damage, with the Blues returning home empty-handed. With New Zealand teams suffering five losses (three from the Highlanders), the Chiefs' defeat to the Waratahs in Sydney, the Hurricanes drawing with the Force and now the Blues slumping against the Reds, Australia is becoming something of a 2025 graveyard for Kiwi sides.
Japan Times
15-04-2025
- Sport
- Japan Times
All Black wing Tele'a announces Japan switch
All Blacks wing Mark Tele'a said Tuesday that he will play in Japan next year, depriving New Zealand of a key player ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup. Tele'a, who has scored 13 tries in 19 Tests and was named World Rugby's breakthrough player of the year in 2023, confirmed the move on social media but did not say which club he will play for or the length of his contract. Media reports have suggested that the 28-year-old will join Toyota Verblitz, led by former All Blacks head coaches Steve Hansen and Ian Foster. "It's been an amazing ride so many fantastic memories and amazing people. ... But after much thought I have decided from next year I will play my rugby in Japan," Tele'a wrote on Instagram. "Thanks to fellow players, coaches, administrators and fans! for making the past years so special for me, always been grateful and blessed for the journey. "But on to the next chapter for myself much love," he added. Tele'a is the latest All Black to make the switch to Japan's Rugby League One. New Zealand has barred national selection for players if they are not contracted domestically, a rule aimed at preventing an exodus of players and weakening local competitions. All Blacks coach Scott Robertson has called for a policy change. A New Zealand Rugby official was reported as saying that Tele'a would be available to play in the three home Tests against France in July. Tele'a made his All Blacks debut in 2022 and started their World Cup final defeat to South Africa a year later. He was part of the Auckland Blues side that won the 2024 Super Rugby title. "A devastating character on the field, Mark's presence in the locker room is just as immense," the Blues wrote on social media.
Reuters
15-04-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
All Blacks winger Tele'a heading to Japan in 2026
MELBOURNE, April 15 (Reuters) - Mark Tele'a will leave the Auckland Blues at the end of the season and play rugby in Japan next year, ruling him out of All Blacks selection in 2026, the New Zealand winger said on Tuesday. Tele'a was among Scott Robertson's first-choice wingers in his first season in charge but his departure leaves the All Blacks coach with a dilemma as to whether to pick him this season or move on. "It's been an amazing ride, so many fantastic memories and amazing people," Tele'a said in a statement. "But after much thought I have decided from next year I will play my rugby in Japan." New Zealand media have linked Tele'a with a move to Toyota Verblitz, who are coached by former All Blacks coaches Steve Hansen and Ian Foster. All Blacks selectors are barred from picking overseas-based players, though some long-serving internationals have been allowed to take short-term contracts with foreign clubs during sabbaticals included in their New Zealand Rugby contracts. A line-breaking machine, 28-year-old Tele'a has scored 13 tries in 19 tests since his 2022 debut and was a starting winger against South Africa in the 2023 World Cup final. He was named World Rugby's "Breakthrough Player of the Year" in 2023 after a stellar season for the All Blacks. "A devastating character on the field, Mark's presence in the locker room is just as immense," the Blues said on social media. "We will celebrate accordingly at the end of the season but until then we've got work to do." Tele'a will join a number of New Zealand test players who have left the nation to pursue big-money deals with Japanese clubs, including flyhalf Richie Mo'unga and loose forward Shannon Frizell. The departures have alarmed rugby pundits who fear the allure of the All Blacks jersey is no longer strong enough to compete with the money on offer overseas. "I don't know if we can do more to keep our players in New Zealand but this really concerns me," former All Blacks winger Jeff Wilson said on New Zealand's Sky Sports. "This guy is a superstar, not just in our game for the All Blacks but for the Blues as well."
