# Japan’s unlikely leader who turned down the All Blacks

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/japans-unlikely-leader-who-turned-down-the-all-blacks/
- Published: 2026-11-14T08:22:15+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-14T09:21:07+00:00
- Original publisher: BBC Sport (publisher lean: Centre)
- Original article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/articles/cq74297dvnygo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
- Topics: Asia, Sport, World

## Key points

- Warner Dearns will co-captain Japan against England.
- He says joining the All Blacks was never an option.
- Japan has been his home since he moved there at 14.

## Summary

Warner Dearns, a New Zealand-born lock who moved to Japan as a teenager, has become one of Japan’s leaders and will co-captain the side against England. Despite spending a season with the Hurricanes alongside several All Blacks, he says switching allegiance to New Zealand was never an option, reflecting his strong connection to Japan.

Dearns moved at 14 when his father took a coaching job near Tokyo, and developed as a rugby player at a Japanese high school after initially preferring basketball. He made his Japan debut at 19 in 2021 and played in all four of the team’s matches at the 2023 World Cup. Now fluent in Japanese, with a son born in the country, he has also helped create tries against England in meetings in 2022 and 2024.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.