Former Maori All Blacks fly-half Ihaia West has taken up an offer to rejoin La Rochelle following a one-season stint at Top 14 rivals Toulon. Having featured in Super Rugby with the Blues and the Hurricanes, the New Zealander arrived in France in 2018 and went on to start 83 matches for La Rochelle, including their 2021/22 Heineken Champions Cup final victory over Leinster in Marseille.
The 31-year-old was in Dublin in May this year on the same weekend that La Rochelle secured back-to-back European titles with another final victory over Leinster, but he was instead in action off the bench for Toulon in the previous evening’s Challenge Cup final against Glasgow.
West came into the Aviva Stadium action early in that win following a head injury to Dan Biggar, the Wales international whose signing by Toulon last November from Northampton ultimately played an influential part in West deciding to return to La Rochelle rather than duke it out with the British and Irish Lions No10 in the south of France.
Confirmation of the signing of West by La Rochelle came at the end of a week where the Ronan O’Gara-led club announced the recruitment of Fijian midfielder Akuila Joeli Tabualevu from Valance and ex-England winger Jack Nowell from Exeter Chiefs.
A club statement read: “La Rochelle is pleased to announce the return of fly-half Ihaia West after a brief stint of a season at Toulon. With 95 matches to his credit during his first stint in Charente-Maritime, the New Zealander will try to continue to write his history with this club he loves so much!
“Having played for the Blues and Wellington at the beginning of his career, the New Zealand fly-half joined the club in 2018 to bring all his science of the game and his qualities as a modern No10. Widely used by the La Rochelle staff throughout his seasons here, Ihaia made 83 appearances in the starting XV and scored 866 points.
“After a season with Toulon (28 matches, including 20 with the No10 on the back) where he took the opportunity to get a title in the Challenge Cup, the fly-half has chosen to retrace his steps to where he feels good, always with the same desire: to enlarge his trophy cabinet.”
“I can have a terrible day at training, but I’m able to cut it and go, ‘No, that is enough for the day'”
– Ihaia West on…
Emerging at Hawke’s Bay ?
Slaying Lions ?
Leaving New Zealand ??
Life at @staderochelais ?with O’Gara– writes @heagneyl ???
https://t.co/VzrvhM2dpN— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 24, 2021
