A Frenchman in Christchurch
Clément Castets will get his shot at Super Rugby. The Crusaders unveiled their 2027 squad on Wednesday from their new stadium in Christchurch, and the 30-year-old French loosehead prop is on the list. He joins as a medical joker for Tamaiti Williams, who is recovering from a serious back injury.
Castets spent four seasons at Toulouse, from 2017 to 2021, then four more at Stade Français before moving to New Zealand last year. The start was slow. An injury kept him off the field at first, but this season he got into the Hawke’s Bay side in the NPC, the domestic championship.
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Ten NPC games to earn it
He played ten matches for Hawke’s Bay, eight of them as a starter, between early August and 10 October. That run ended in the quarter-finals, where Otago won 50-14. Those appearances were enough to convince the Crusaders to give him a place in the group.
Super Rugby is due to kick off on 12 February, so Castets could pull on the red and black in the opening weeks if Williams is still out. The Crusaders were semi-finalists this year and have won the competition thirteen times. For a prop who left France for an unproven path at the other end of the world, the reward is a seat at the most decorated table in the southern game.
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