Castres Olympique have confirmed the signing of New Zealand international Dalton Papali’i on a three-year deal. Aged 28 and with 37 All Blacks caps to his name, the back-rower had until now been playing for the Auckland Blues in Super Rugby.

He notably took part in the 2023 World Cup, which ended with a final lost to South Africa. The player, able to operate in several back-row positions, will bolster the Castres squad, currently ninth in the Top 14 and in the hunt for a play-off place.

He will join Castres Olympique for the 2026/2027 season to give his career a new direction: “I think I have reached the maturity needed for an experience like this, he said, to adapt to a different style of rugby and to live a new adventure while giving everything I have to the team. I know the club’s history, I know that several All Blacks came before me at Castres, like Kees Meeuws, Carl Hoeft, Chris Masoe, more recently Jack Goodhue and Gary Whetton, with whom I had a long conversation. It’s a town that is passionate about its club and offers a family environment. It’s also a club that likes taking on challenges. All of that suits me.”

As well as being a major addition to the Tarn club’s ranks, it is a huge coup pulled off by the CO on the transfer market. For sporting director Matthias Rolland: “Dalton’s versatility and work ethic were key factors in our determination to sign him. Xavier wanted a player of this type: complete and capable of playing in all 3 back-row positions. We think Dalton ticks a lot of boxes to fit in well with our squad and to keep helping the club grow alongside his future team-mates.”