Gloucester sign All Black Nepo Laulala

Gloucester Rugby can confirm that after a successful training and rehabilitation period with the Club, Nepo Laulala has signed a contract ahead of the 2025/26 season, and will play in Cherry & White next season.

The All Black prop was a cornerstone of New Zealand’s pack for eight years, amassing 53-caps.  His stint on the international stage included two Rugby World Cups, finishing in third place in Japan in 2019, and second in France in 2023.

At Club level, Laulala left Auckland, where he was educated at Wesley College, for Canterbury to play first-team rugby. He impressed so much in his first season in the ITM Cup that he was named in the Crusaders’ squad for the following Super Rugby season. The tight-head also went on to have stints at the Chiefs and the Blues.

After two seasons and 38 appearances back in Auckland with the Blues, Laulala moved to the Northern hemisphere after the 2023 Rugby World Cup, joining French giants Toulouse. Unfortunately for Laulala, his Top14 stint was short-lived, as he suffered a ruptured Achilles. After being released mid-season by Toulouse, Laulala has been rehabilitating at Kingsholm over the last three months and is expected to return to the field by the start of the league season.

Director of Rugby, George Skivington, commented:

“Nepo is a 50-odd cap All Black, and that pretty much speaks for itself in terms of the calibre of player we’ve signed.

“We moved quickly to get him here in the building and start his rehab, which gave us a jump on the other sides and most importantly, Nepo has been really grateful for how we’ve supported him with his injury.

“He’s looking really good, he’s coming through all the tests that we’ve been putting him through, and we’re confident he can have a big impact for us this season.

“A big thanks must go to Rhys Hughes and the Medical Department for the work they’ve done with Nepo.”

Laulala added:

“I’m really grateful to George and everybody at Gloucester for welcoming me to Kingsholm after going through a pretty rough time in France.

“It was a scary time not knowing where my future lay, but I’m looking forward to repaying everybody here for the faith they’ve put in me.

“I’ve heard great things about Gloucester and the Cherry & White fans, and I can’t wait to get out there and play in front of them.”