WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) 鈥� England-bound winger equaled the Super Rugby season try-scoring record Saturday with his 16th try in the Hurricanes鈥� 47-24 win over the Blues in round 14.
Finaenganofo shares the record with former ACT Brumbies winger Joe Roff who scored 16 tries in 1997 and ex-Hurricanes winger Ben Lam in 2018. He has the chance to set a new mark in the Wellington-based Hurricanes鈥� final regular-season matches against the Highlanders and the Crusaders.
The 23-year-old will join England club Newcastle after the Super Rugby season on a two-year-contract. New Zealand Rugby has rejected calls from fans to help pay out Fineanganofo鈥檚 contract to allow him to play for the All Blacks this year.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 really do that,鈥� newly-appointed NZR chief executive told the Rugby Direct podcast. 鈥淭hese are player choices.鈥�
鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing stopping Fehi from doing that but it鈥檚 not a space we get into, looking to buy players out of contracts. Things have changed a lot for him since the end of last year. He鈥檚 taken every opportunity he鈥檚 been given so good on him. He鈥檚 made a decision. If he has a change of heart, that鈥檚 absolutely up to him.鈥�
The Hurricanes’ win over the Auckland-based Blues lifted them five points clear of the Hamilton-based Chiefs atop the table with two regular season rounds remaining. The Blues slipped back to third place, six points adrift of the Chiefs.
The Christchurch-based Crusaders, ACT Brumbies and Queensland Reds complete the top six.
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