Super Rugby Pacific is rich in talent, but not all players are in a position to shine in a way that is beneficial to not just their own careers, but to their respective national teams.
In 2024, we saw players like Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens, Harry Plummer, Brayden Iose and Asafo Aumua benefit immensely from player movement in one way or another.
In 2025, there are no shortage of candidates who could further their position in the national pecking order should they have the opportunity to do so.
Here are five players who fit that bill.
Du’Plessis Kirifi
The standout player from the 2024 All Blacks XV tour, and fittingly, the captain of that team, Kirifi was called into the All Blacks as injury cover on the back end of the Autumn Nations Series, although never took the field.
Despite a handful of All Blacks loose forwards being sidelined with injury last November, there was still at least one man between Kirifi and the matchday 23. Unfortunately for the 27-year-old, just edging him in the national ranks is fellow Hurricanes flanker Peter Lakai, who took to the international arena like a duck to water.
Lakai, one of New Zealand’s brightest prospects at just 21 years of age, also stole the Hurricanes’ No. 7 jersey from Kirifi in 2024. It was undoubtedly one of the most challenging selection calls in the Super Rugby Pacific season, given that Kirifi has been a talismanic figure for the Wellingtonians for a handful of seasons now.
Kirifi’s relatively short stature means he is unable to shift around the back row to accommodate Lakai, and so is resigned to the impact unit for the foreseeable future.
While the luxury of having someone of Kirifi’s quality on the bench is surreal for the Hurricanes, the best flankers in the country should be starting to give them a fair shot at reaching their potential. And, Kirifi is certainly still improving as a player.
The 2024 NPC-winning Lions captain is no doubt in a crowded field, but his energy levels and hunger set him apart from his counterparts, and that’s something that could be of immense value at the next level.
Zarn Sullivan
We’ve only seen so many glimpses of Zarn Sullivan at his best in Super Rugby, but those glimpses tell us this kid is a superbly well-rounded player on the rugby pitch.
Possessing one of the biggest boots in the competition, size and physicality and the defence to match, he’s the type of fullback prospect New Zealand is lacking now that Jordie Barrett is a certified midfielder.
Standing between Sullivan and a starting role for the reigning Super Rugby champion Blues is a bevy of All Blacks.
The Blues’ playmaker stocks are undoubtedly the most congested talent pool in the competition, with All Blacks centurion Beauden Barrett returning to challenge fellow All Black Harry Plummer for the No. 10 jersey. Both players are more than capable of playing fullback as well, but evidently have first dibs on the pivotal playmaker role.
Their talent and form have pushed Stephen Perofeta back to the fullback role, shifting Sullivan out of the starting XV.
While an injury to Perofeta allowed Sullivan to step into the starting backfield in 2024, there is no guarantee an equivalent opportunity in 2025 would lead to a run in the 15 jersey given the trio of All Blacks ahead of him.
Before suffering an injury of his own in 2024, Sullivan’s play was generating All Blacks selection buzz, with intelligent game management and bruising defence providing stability for the Aucklanders.
However, when the All Blacks XV squad was named, Sullivan’s name was one of the most notable omissions. Chay Fihaki and Shaun Stevenson were both preferred to the 24-year-old, with Ruben Love flying in from the All Blacks camp to claim some minutes in the first of the team’s two games.
While Harry Plummer’s impending Blues departure can aid Sullivan’s push for more minutes next season, he’ll remain outside the starting XV unless he can outplay either Perofeta or Barrett. There’s no doubt Sullivan is a starting quality player with plenty of room to grow yet.
ABSOLUTE STOP🛑
Zarn Sullivan HANDLES this MONSTER run from Timoci Tavatavanawai 😤 #SuperRound2024 #SuperRugbyPacific pic.twitter.com/l8kusyFgRc
— Super Rugby Pacific (@SuperRugby) March 1, 2024
Dallas McLeod
A player on the rise who earned his first and only All Blacks cap two years ago now, McLeod now finds himself behind his Crusaders captain David Havili in the No. 12 jersey ranks.
The 30-year-old Havili admitted upon accepting the role of captain that the appointment has potentially shifted his future plans after slipping down the All Blacks pecking order as Jordie Barrett established himself as the go-to guy.
That means McLeod’s secondary status at the club isn’t going anywhere in a hurry. To make matters worse, it’s likely Crusaders coach Rob Penney will look to his captain to play as many minutes as possible, pushing McLeod further out of the midfield picture.
While the 25-year-old has shown willingness, and capability to fill in across the backline, his big frame, skillset and instincts are well-suited to the midfield, and that is where Ian Foster selected and played him in the second 2023 Bledisloe Cup Test in Dunedin.
McLeod’s breakout season in 2023 had fans and pundits alike foreseeing a big career in a black jersey for the youngster, and while that narrative has fallen away since then, a decent opportunity could well see it resurface in a hurry.
Nationally, the inside centre position has been identified as something of a weakness when looking to the future. Outside of Jordie Barrett, the next best prospects of a younger age profile are few and far between.
Pasilio Tosi
Something of a late bloomer, Tosi had an impressive debut season with the All Blacks after a surprise selection in the first squad of 2024.
Starting the international campaign as the third-choice loosehead prop behind fellow Hurricane Tyrel Lomax and Fletcher Newell, Tosi ended the season ahead of the latter in the pecking order.
A mobile 140kg behemoth with a scrummaging game that stood up against the giants of the rugby world last November, Tosi has learnt plenty from his world-class teammate Lomax at both club and country level. However, as he establishes himself on the global stage, you’d have to say he’s outgrown a reserve role at the Super Rugby level.
To press on and develop over the current World Cup cycle, Tosi would benefit from going head-to-head with the first-string props from across Super Rugby Pacific.
Honourable mentions
Braydon Ennor, Corey Kellow, Chay Fihaki, Naitoa Ah Kuoi, Brodie McAlister, Josh Jacomb, Taufa Funaki.
