As he prepares to trade Aotearoa for Japan in 2024, All Black Ardie Savea won't have to look too far for company in the land of the rising sun.
Savea, 30, will miss next season's Super Rugby Pacific competition, after signing a one-year contract with Rugby League One outfit Kobelco Steelers, joining a host of Kiwis either moving to or already playing in Japan.
Of the 33-man All Blacks squad to have travelled to this year's World Cup in France, eight are headed to Japan, either permanently or on sabbaticals from New Zealand Rugby.
Aaron Smith, Brodie Retallick, Richie Mo'unga, Shannon Frizell, and Dane Coles have signed full-time contracts, while Savea and captain Sam Cane are on sabbaticals, and will return to New Zealand at season's end.
Beauden Barrett's future is up in the air, after penning a one-year contract to join Toshiba with the possibility of also returning.
Savea, along with Retallick, is headed to Kobe Steelers, where they'll join former All Blacks Ngani Laumape, and Kiwis Gerard Cowley-Tuioti, Richard Buckman and Michael Little.
But now having to face the prospect of squaring off against his All Blacks teammates, Savea told the Project he's hoping he can return in one piece.
"I went to escape Super Rugby and the Kiwi boys, but they're all signed to play in Japan," Savea joked.
"It's going to be good to see the likes of and play against Richie [Mo'unga] and Shannon [Frizell] and join up with Ngani.
"It's going to be good, hopefully they don't smash me too much."
Meanwhile, despite being named World Rugby's men's player of the year for 2023, there's one piece of silverware Savea has been made to regret not winning.
The All Blacks' heartbreaking 12-11 loss to South Africa in the Rugby World Cup final saw Savea return to New Zealand without a winner's medal and seeing him fall short of emulating older brother Julian's achievement of lifting the Webb Ellis Cup.
Julian Savea was part of the All Blacks side that won the 2015 tournament in England, and there's been no mercy from the older brother in the bragging rights stakes.
"He always says 'you've got to win a World Cup'" he continued. "I've been unsuccessful so far.
"So I don't know what I'm going to do."
Savea will at the very least hope for one last chance at winning the World Cup, as the All Blacks begin their four-year cycle towards the 2027 tournament in Australia.
