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Ofa Tu'ungafasi leaves Auckland for a three-month stint at Clermont

5 Nov 2026 · The First 90 Days

Ofa Tu'ungafasi is starting life in France at short notice. ASM Clermont announced on 3 November that the All Blacks prop has signed as a medical joker, an injury replacement, on a first contract of three months, running to the end of January 2027.

Tu'ungafasi is 34 and has 68 tests for New Zealand, including the 2019 and 2023 World Cups. He had played for the Blues since 2014 and won Super Rugby with them in 2024, so Clermont is only the second club of his career. He can play on either side of the scrum, which matters for a club with several front-row injuries.

Coach Christophe Urios said Tu'ungafasi had told Clermont fly-half Harry Plummer, his former Blues teammate, last summer that he wanted to try the Top 14. He was due in the Auvergne on Wednesday and to train with the squad from Thursday. Local reports say an extension after the three months is possible. The club has not said so.

What it means for the move

A three-month deal is all first 90 days. There is no long settling-in period, so the basics need sorting in the first week: where you live, how you get paid, a local bank account or card that works, a phone, and who at the club handles paperwork. Having a teammate who already knows the club, like Plummer, can make that much easier. If the contract might be extended, it helps to know early what changes if it is.

Sources