CONNACHT HAVE MOVED quickly to find a replacement signing for Eroni Vasiteri after announcing the capture of former New Zealand sevens player Pita Ahki.
The 25-year-old joins the western province from Mitre 10 Cup side Waikato having previously had spells in Super Rugby with the Blues and Hurricanes.
Ahki’s arrival at the Sportsground offsets the loss of Vasiteri, whose move to Galway fell through when the Fijian centre received a nine-week suspension for eye-gouging.
Ahki, a World Cup sevens medal winner with the All Blacks in 2013, first rose to prominence with North Harbour before moving to the Blues, where he made 13 appearances.
He spent last year with the Hurricanes but failed to make the breakthrough and was snapped up by Kieran Keane’s former club Waikato.
The strong and pacy centre bolsters Keane’s midfield resources ahead of a crucial block of fixtures with Peter Robb sidelined until December and Bundee Aki expected to be involved in next month’s November internationals.
“Pita is a highly-rated young player who has played Super Rugby for the Blues and the Hurricanes,” Keane said.
“He is a strong pacey player who will add to our attacking options. I think he will fit in well at Connacht and I am delighted to be welcoming him to the province.”
On his move to Connacht, the Auckland native added: “I am really excited about my move to Connacht. I am looking forward to the prospect of playing European and Pro14 rugby.
“Connacht have developed a huge reputation as a proud club with community central to everything they do. I can’t wait to join up with the squad and meet the Sportsground crowd.”
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It’s scary to think how war mongering the UK is. For every war in the world the USA and UK always get involved like it’s some sort of videos game. Also the war crimes done in Ireland, Iraq, number of country’s in Africa and Asia by the British Army is something not to be proud off.
Totally agree.
Stick to the football lads. It’s in need of your full attention.
Of course they’re planning to, there’s still plenty of empire nostalgia in England as reflected in recent Brexit vote
@An_Beal_Bocht: Whats commemorating the lives of those who died fighting in WWI & WWII have anything to do with the British empire? Its showing respect for those who gave their lives in an awful conflict.
It’s not just ww1 and ww2. It’s every war and conflict they have ever been in, including Northern Ireland, Iraq, Afghanistan, India etc etc etc etc etc.
A leopard never changes its spots. They just can’t help been themselves. They tried their best bless the murdering, Racist B@@@@@@!!!!
So they’re commemorating the inhabitants of Nagasaki and Nazi soldiers as well?!
Way to stick it to the man.
They’re dead right. To hell with fifa.
But we all know there is more to this poppy wearing for the Brits than commemoration of their fallen heroes.
100yrs on its more about nationalism.
I’m also sure there are families of innocents in places like Iraq, Syria and perhaps even Belfast who don’t take so kindly to the liberators tag that the British army like to align with.
I’m also sure there are a few Germans in FIFA who just joy in rubbing it in the noses of the brexiteers
The Scots are also planning on having poppys on their kit that day, why is this being ignored??
And James McLean to get the usually abuse from the stands and online by the brave knuckle daggers.
Its plain to see very few commenters on here haven’t a scooby what the Poppy represents.
The real question is if Fifa prohinits display of symbols on international jerseys which could be interpreted as a political, religious or commercial why was nothing said about the 1916 commemoration on the Ireland jerseys earlier this year?
let them wear the poppy. there’s no harm in it. it’s symbols that blatantly want to stir up trouble fifa should be more concerned with rather than symbols of remembrance and honour.
So what does it represent? I think maybe you are the one who doesn’t have the Scrooby doo.
What it was originally intended to represent, what it has come to represent and what it actually stands for are all different things.
The media poppy pressure in the U.K. is relentless. It’s become a massive propaganda tool for the British Army.
Oh , you mean the one we wore to celebrate 100 years? These fools wear that bloody poppy every year. The pro Britannia vibe is cringe to the point that it makes me want to vomit
If very FEW haven’t a scooby then the vast majority completely understand the stupidity of footballers wearing the poppy. Nice double negative you ignoramus!
The 1916 commemoration was for a friendly game, which is not against FIFA rules.
And to be even more pedantic about it, it did not contain the Lily but merely ‘Éire 1916-2016′. In my opinion it was subtle and classy. There is nothibg subtle about the poppy and its appearance on our screens en masse for the month of November.
Is the FA chairman not Greg Dyke instead of Greg Clarke??
Hi Sean, No it was Greg Dyke but he has since been succeeded by Greg Clarke. Greg Dyke stepped down during the summer.
Hi Sean. No Greg Clarke replaced Greg Dyke earlier this summer.
No
@sean mcgoey: Hi Sean, just getting back to this comment now. Greg Clarke succeeded Greg Dyke as FA Chairman in July of this year.
And we care….Nooooo
Surely the British parliament has more pressing concerns than worrying whether or not their football teams wear a poppy on their shirt. Always happens at this time of year and I find it funny how far they go with it