Blues and Tonga centre Pita Ahki has urged New Zealand’s professional players to try their hand at furthering their careers at overseas-based clubs.
Ahki has made his return to the Auckland-based outfit for the upcoming Super Rugby Pacific campaign after a successful seven-year stint with Top 14 outfit Toulouse.
The 33-year-old is a former New Zealand U20s and sevens representative and also made appearances for the Blues and Hurricanes in Super Rugby between 2014 and 2017 before heading abroad.
Had a successful stint at Toulouse
He initially played for Irish province Connacht but only spent one season with the Galway-based side before joining French heavyweights Toulouse where he had a successful stint, winning five Top 14 titles in 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024 and 2025, and two Champions Cup trophies in 2021 and 2024.
New Zealand Rugby’s policy of not selecting foreign-based players for the All Blacks meant Ahki switched allegiance to Tonga in 2023.
Ahki has made seven Test appearances for the Pacific Islanders and encouraged New Zealand players to explore the prospect of playing overseas, especially those who are not getting a look-in at international level.
“I think I’d recommend going for a year or two. You look at the likes of Leicester Faingaʻanuku, who has gone for a couple of years to Toulon, come back and now he’s back in the All Blacks set-up,” he told the DSPN podcast with Martin Devlin.
“But I think everyone’s got their own sort of path.
“And I think if you’re not getting looked at for the All Blacks or whatever team, then I think you have to choose that path to go overseas.
“And that was how sort of my journey sort of panned out for me. It might be different for someone else, but I do recommend going for a year or two overseas.”
Ahki admitted that heading overseas as a youngster was a bold move at the time, but he is happy that he made that decision and is hoping to plow back into the game now that he has returned to New Zealand.
“I’m a real shy person. I’m real quiet. And having to leave home, my parents and my family was a big step,” he explained.
‘I applaud people that take that step’
“And I applaud people that take that step to experience something new and I don’t regret it.
“I encourage rugby players to, you see it now, take sabbaticals over in Leinster or Japan or France just to experience something new and you can bring those experiences back into your footy here.”
One of New Zealand’s leading players who is currently on a sabbatical at Leinster is All Blacks utility back Rieko Ioane, who Ahki is effectively replacing at outside centre for the Blues although he admitted that he’s not taking anything for granted.
“Obviously, that’s the reason why the door is open here for the Blues,” he said on coming in to replace Ioane.
“But I know for myself, like you said, no one’s automatic anywhere. So, I know I have to work for my position. We’ve got a lot of young, talented footballers and midfielders in the team.
“And I’m just looking forward to trying to help them with my experiences and just try to go one step further this year.”
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