Hawke’s Bay Magpies: Halfback Ere Enari off to Wales, up-and-comer gets first Canes chance
Departing Magpies halfback Ere Enari in an NPC match against former union Canterbury last year. He heads for Wales at the end of the 2026 Super Rugby season next month and will no longer be available for Hawke's Bay. Photo / Photosport
Hawke’s Bay Magpies NPC halfback Ereatara Enari has finished his stint in Hawke’s Bay and is off to join Welsh United Rugby Championship outfit the Dragons RFC.
The departure was announced today in a social media post from the United Rugby Championship (URC) club, based in Newport and also serving the southeast Wales areas of Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire and Torfaen.
It was confirmed in posts from the Hawke’s Bay Rugby Union and Super Rugby Pacific franchise the Hurricanes, for whom Enari plays against the Highlanders in Wellington Saturday and remains available till the end of the Super season next month.
Enari, who turns 29 next week, was born in Auckland and, having also lived in Palmerston North, established a reputation at St Kentigern College, Auckland.
He headed to the South Island to study at Lincoln College and played 40 NPC matches for Canterbury in 2016-2020, nine Super games for the Crusaders in 2017-2021 and seven matches for New Zealand Under-20, including as vice-captain, before making his Magpies debut in a Ranfurly Shield defence against Ngāti Porou East Coast in 2021.
He has since played in 40 matches for the Magpies, sharing the No 9 jersey with 2022 All Black Folau Fakatava (who plays for the Highlanders), and played 33 Super matches for Moana Pasifika before joining the Hurricanes last year.
In all, he has played in more than 60 Super games and 80 in the NPC, and also made nine internationals for Samoa, for whom he first appeared in 2022.
He joins a growing list of at least five regular 2025 Magpies who will not be available for Hawke’s Bay this year, with captain Tom Parsons retired, lock and loose forward Isaia Walker-Leawere off to France, prop Pouri Rakete-Stones off to English club the Newcastle Red Bulls and loose forward Devan Flanders off to Japan.
The four heading overseas are all in with a chance of leaving with a long-desired Hurricanes Super Rugby title, all being in the 23 for Saturday night’s penultimate round-robin match against the Highlanders in Wellington.
Enari’s new club finished second-to-last in the 16-team URC Six Nations franchise competition, which enters its quarter-finals this weekend.
The Dragons are coached by former All Blacks, Hurricanes and Wellington player Filo Tiatia, who said in a club media release that as well as playing for the club, Enari is keen to help its academy players and “the next generation we have coming through”.
“Ere is a good man, somebody who understands the importance of grassroots and the community he’s in,” Tiatia said.
Renowned for his speed of game and combative nature, Enari is a former New Zealand Under-20 international and vice-captain.
Enari said: “After 10 years of provincial and Super Rugby in New Zealand, my wife and I are looking forward to stepping into a new season in Wales.
“There are some familiar faces there, which will be awesome, but we also can’t wait to make new connections with teammates, partners and the Dragons supporters.
Vying for the jersey at the Dragons are expected to be 33-year-old former Wales international Rhoddri Williams and Wales Under-20 representative Che Hopes.
Meanwhile, Havelock North lock Tom Allen is set for a possible Super debut after being named on the substitutes bench for Saturday’s game.
Hurricanes head coach Clark Laidlaw said 21-year-old Allen “got a huge reception” when the line-up was named, with six of the 23 having Magpies experience.
“He’s been training and toiling away for the past couple of years without getting an opportunity, so we’re proud of him,” Laidlaw said.
Also of note is the first NPC first-division match between the Magpies and Auckland at Napier’s McLean Park on May 12, 1976 being named among the “defining moments” being voted on in a commemoration of 50 years of the NPC, announced on Thursday.
The public can vote on 50 “moments” and also for the best NPC players from 50 selected by each union.
Doug Laing is a Hawke’s Bay Today reporter with 53 years’ fulltime journalism experience, covering news and sports events and issues in Hawke’s Bay, Wairarapa, Wellington and Auckland, including a match between Wairarapa-Buish and East Coast for the Wairarapa Times Age in the first season of the NPC in 1976.