The defending champion nib Blues have signed Mererangi Paul for the 2026 Super Rugby Aupiki season, adding one of world rugby\u2019s most exciting finishers to their backline.<\/p>\n
Paul (Ng\u0101ti P\u016bkeko, Ng\u0101ti Rangitihi, Ng\u0101ti Awa) arrives in Auckland with an outstanding pedigree at both international and domestic level, having established herself as a proven try-scorer in the Black Ferns jersey and across Super Rugby Aupiki.<\/p>\n
Head coach Willie Walker said Paul joining the club is a major boost for the programme as the nib Blues prepare to compete for an Aupiki title three-peat.<\/p>\n
\u201cMererangi is a genuine game-breaker,\u201d Walker said.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe brings pace, power and great rugby IQ. She\u2019s tested herself at the highest level internationally and still has a huge amount of growth ahead of her. We\u2019re excited she\u2019s chosen to continue that journey with the Blues.\u201d<\/p>\n
Paul burst onto the international scene in 2023, earning a nomination for World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year after scoring seven tries in just five Tests. <\/p>\n
On debut against Australia in Brisbane, she crossed twice in a 50-0 win – the Black Ferns\u2019 biggest victory over the Wallaroos since 1997 – before backing it up with another double against Canada as New Zealand secured the Pacific Four title.<\/p>\n
Reflecting on her move north, Paul said she was excited by the opportunity to grow within a strong environment.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Blues kaupapa really stood out to me,\u201d Paul said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a clear vision around connection, growth and backing players to express themselves. I\u2019m excited about the challenge and the chance to learn from the coaches and the group.\u201d<\/p>\n
Raised in Whakat\u0101ne as one of seven siblings, Paul\u2019s sporting journey is a unique one. <\/p>\n
A former professional netballer with the Northern Mystics, she followed a similar path to Portia Woodman by switching codes and quickly rising through the rugby ranks. <\/p>\n
Her development through Sevens, provincial rugby with Counties Manukau, and Super Rugby Aupiki with Chiefs Manawa has shaped her finishing ability, physicality and growing all-round game.<\/p>\n
Paul will link up with the nib Blues squad ahead of the 2026 Super Rugby Aupiki campaign, which kicks off later this year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The defending champion nib Blues have signed Mererangi Paul for the 2026 Super Rugby Aupiki season, adding one…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":467368,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[567],"tags":[64,63,760,85],"class_list":["post-467367","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-rugby","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-rugby","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/467367","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=467367"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/467367\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/467368"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=467367"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=467367"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=467367"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}