New Zealand Rugby confirms two-year deal with Roger Tuivasa-Sheck

New Zealand Rugby and the Blues have confirmed Roger Tuivasa-Sheck has signed a two-year contract that will also see him link with Auckland through to the end of 2023.

The announcement comes a decade after Tuivasa-Sheck last played rugby union, a sport the 27-year-old confirmed he had always intended to play again following his illustrious rugby league career.

“It has been a dream of mine for a long time to one day play rugby union again, to get this opportunity with New Zealand Rugby, the Blues and Auckland is exciting. The timing feels right to do this now. That said, I have a big year ahead of me and will turn my attention to this opportunity later in the year.”

Tuivasa-Sheck has become one of the biggest names in rugby league since embarking on a professional sports career in 2012, one year after playing for the New Zealand Secondary Schools rugby team alongside current All Blacks Patrick Tuipulotu, Ardie Savea, and Ngani Laumape.

The Samoan-born Aucklander joined the New Zealand Warriors in 2016 and will play out his final season with the club in 2021. His success in rugby league has included being judged as the best player in the National Rugby League (NRL) when he was awarded the Dally-M Medal in 2018.

He will link up with Auckland later in the year and kick off his Sky Super Rugby career with the Blues in 2022.