Cam Regard returns to the All Blacks ahead of November tests

All Blacks Head Coach Scott Robertson and his co-selectors have named their All Blacks squad for the 2024 Lipovitan-D Challenge Cup and the Northern Tour. 

The Northern Tour squad features just one change to the 36-man Rugby Championship squad, with Cam Roigard returning from the knee injury he sustained during the Super Rugby season and creating a halfback selection dilemma for the All Blacks coaches. 

“It was fantastic to see Cam in great form for Counties in the weekend and we are excited to have him back in the mix. Fellow halfbacks Cortez Ratima and TJ Perenara showed during the Rugby Championship that they deserve their spots in the squad, and this means Noah Hotham will be included in the All Blacks XV squad to be announced tomorrow, where he will be able to gain some valuable playing time,” All Blacks Head Coach Scott Robertson said. 

“This Northern Tour is an exciting challenge, which will allow us to continue evolving our game and building a style of rugby that creates opportunities against some fierce competition.  We have selected a squad that will bring consistency and continuity, while also achieving the right balance of giving newer talent the chance to develop within a team that has valuable experience against these northern hemisphere sides.” 

In addition to the squad of 36, a small number of players from the All Blacks XV squad will travel to Japan with the All Blacks to help with their preparation and gain additional experience in the All Blacks environment, before joining up with the All Blacks XV squad to play Munster and Georgia in November.   

This will also allow a group of players from the All Blacks squad to travel to England two days earlier to focus on preparation for the Northern Tour test matches.   

The All Blacks squad will depart for Japan on 17 October and the fixtures are as follows: 

• Saturday 26 October- All Blacks vs Japan, 6.50PM (NZST), Nissan Stadium, Yokohama 

• Sunday 03 November - All Blacks vs England, 4.10AM (NZST), Twickenham Stadium, London 

• Saturday 09 November - All Blacks vs Ireland, 9.10AM (NZST), Aviva Stadium, Dublin 

• Sunday 17 November - All Blacks vs France, 9.10AM (NZST), Stade de France, Paris 

• Sunday 24 November - All Blacks vs Italy, 9.10AM (NZST), Allianz Stadium, Turin

The 36-strong squad is: (Age / Super Rugby Club / Province / Test Caps) 
 
Forwards (20) 
 
Hookers 
Asafo Aumua (27 / Hurricanes / Wellington / 15) 
Codie Taylor (33 / Crusaders / Canterbury / 93) 
George Bell (22 / Crusaders / Canterbury / 1) 
 
Props                                                                                                                                        
Ethan De Groot (26 / Highlanders / Southland / 28) 
Tyrel Lomax (28 / Hurricanes / Tasman / 40) 
Fletcher Newell (24 / Crusaders / Canterbury / 20) 
Pasilio Tosi (26 / Hurricanes / Bay of Plenty / 3) 
Ofa Tu’ungafasi (32 / Blues / Northland / 63) 
Tamaiti Williams (24 / Crusaders / Canterbury / 14) 
 
Locks 
Scott Barrett (30 / Crusaders / Taranaki / 76) (Captain) 
Tupou Vaa’i (24 / Chiefs / Taranaki / 34) 
Patrick Tuipulotu (31 / Blues / Auckland / 46) 
Sam Darry (24 / Blues / Canterbury / 5) 
 
Loose forwards 
Ethan Blackadder (29 / Crusaders / Tasman / 15) 
Sam Cane (32 / Chiefs / Bay of Plenty / 100) 
Samipeni Finau (25 / Chiefs / Waikato / 4) 
Luke Jacobson (27 / Chiefs / Waikato / 24) 
Dalton Papali’i (26 / Blues / Counties Manukau / 36) 
Ardie Savea (30 / Moana Pasifika / Wellington / 90) (Vice Captain) 
Wallace Sititi (22 / Chiefs / North Harbour / 5) 
 
Backs (16) 
 
Halfbacks 
Cam Roigard (23 / Hurricanes / Counties Manukau / 5) 
TJ Perenara (32 / Hurricanes / Wellington / 87) 
Cortez Ratima (23 / Chiefs / Waikato / 8) 
 
First five-eighths 
Beauden Barrett (33 / Blues / Taranaki / 131) 
Damian McKenzie (29 / Chiefs / Waikato / 56) 
 
Mid-fielders 
Jordie Barrett (27 / Hurricanes / Taranaki / 65) (Vice Captain) 
David Havili (29 / Crusaders / Tasman / 28) 
Rieko Ioane (27 / Blues / Auckland / 77) 
Anton Lienert-Brown (29 / Chiefs / Waikato / 79) 
Billy Proctor (25 / Hurricanes / Wellington / 1) 
 
Outside backs 
Caleb Clarke (25 / Blues / Auckland / 25) 
Will Jordan (26 / Crusaders / Tasman / 37) 
Ruben Love (23 / Hurricanes / Wellington / 0)* 
Stephen Perofeta (27 / Blues / Taranaki / 5) 
Sevu Reece (27 / Crusaders / Southland / 30) 
Mark Tele’a (27 / Blues / North Harbour/ 15)