Rieko Ioane has made his intentions clear over his All Blacks future after a turbulent period saw him fall down the pecking order.
The 29-year-old, who has won more than 90 caps for New Zealand, admitted there was a stage when he wasn't sure whether he would ever pull on the famous black jersey again.
However, retirement isn't on his mind just yet.
Ioane has confirmed he wants to keep fighting for his place, with the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia firmly in his sights.
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Ioane opens up on All Blacks future
It's been quite the turnaround for Ioane.
Once an automatic selection for the All Blacks, he lost his grip on the number 13 shirt before being shifted back to the wing.
Things reached a low point earlier this year when Ioane was left out of the All Blacks squad despite remaining eligible following his spell with Leinster.
He has since been brutally honest about his own performances.
“My performances last year weren’t good enough on the wing. I felt that,” Ioane told RugbyPass.
After spending time with Leinster as part of his New Zealand Rugby sabbatical, Ioane returned home knowing there were no guarantees over his international future.
He was eventually recalled for the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry tour of South Africa, although his battle for a regular place continued when Ioane was dropped from the matchday squad for the third Test against the Springboks.
Asked whether he thought he would get another chance at Test level, Ioane admitted: “I was a bit 50/50 on whether I would be, just based on all events that happened.”
That uncertainty hasn't changed what he wants next.
World Cup remains the target
Ioane remains contracted to New Zealand Rugby through 2027 and has made it clear that reaching another World Cup remains a major goal.
“I’m signed till ’27. So hopefully I’m sticking around this team; I definitely want to be going to the World Cup,” he said.
“There’s a lot of rugby to be played in that time, and there’s so many things that can happen.”
His long-term commitment was originally announced by the All Blacks, with Ioane signing a deal taking him through the next World Cup.
He had already spoken about his desire to get back into the New Zealand side during his spell with Leinster.
“I’m definitely keen to get there,” Ioane told the Irish Times.
“It’s no easy journey and things have already happened. But, yeah, it would be such an awesome feeling.”
For a player who has already been to three World Cups, there is still one sizeable carrot keeping him going.
Australia 2027.
Five things you might not know about Rieko Ioane
1. Rugby runs in the family
Ioane was almost destined to play international rugby.
His father Eddie represented Samoa and featured at the 1991 Rugby World Cup, while his mother Sandra Wihongi played for the Black Ferns.
His older brother Akira also became an All Black, winning 21 caps for New Zealand.
The brothers went on to play alongside each other for both the Blues and their country.
2. He went to the Olympics
Before becoming an All Blacks regular, Ioane was one of New Zealand's most exciting young sevens players.
He represented New Zealand at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio while still a teenager.
Ioane later told the Irish Times that he made the most of life in the Olympic Village, getting photographs with swimming great Michael Phelps and tennis legend Rafael Nadal.
3. He became an All Black at 19
Ioane's rise through New Zealand rugby was incredibly quick.
He made his Auckland debut at 17 before stepping up to Super Rugby with the Blues at 18.
His All Blacks debut followed against Italy in Rome in November 2016.
Ioane was just 19 years old.
4. He was twice nominated for World Player of the Year
Before establishing himself as an outside-centre, Ioane was one of the most dangerous wingers in world rugby.
His combination of pace, power and finishing ability quickly made him a superstar for the All Blacks.
Ioane's performances saw him nominated for the World Rugby Men's 15s Player of the Year award in both 2017 and 2018.
He missed out to Beauden Barrett in 2017 before Ireland fly-half Johnny Sexton claimed the award a year later.
5. His cats apparently rule the house
Away from rugby, Ioane revealed a slightly different side to himself during his spell in Ireland.
Ioane and his fiancée Dione Iusitini have two cats, Kaisa and Yone, as well as two French bulldogs.
And apparently the cats are very much in charge.
“The cats bully them,” Ioane told the Irish Times. “They’re lovers, not fighters.”
Not quite the household hierarchy you'd expect from a man who has spent the best part of a decade smashing his way through international defences.
