All Blacks centre Reiko Ioane will join the Irish rugby union club Leinster next season on a sabbatical break. The 28-year-old had a sabbatical clause in his contract which allows him to skip one Super Rugby Pacific season with the Blues and spend six months abroad. He follows in the footsteps of Jordie Barrett, who joined Leinster last year on a short-term deal. Despite this temporary move, Ioane remains contracted with the All Blacks through to the 2027 World Cup, with his break set for the December-June window. "I'll be heading to Leinster at the end of the year on a sabbatical break," Ioane posted on Instagram on Wednesday. "It's an exciting opportunity to play in Ireland for an iconic team, grow my game and experience something different with my family. Will be back refreshed and ready to rock the second half of 2026. Until then locked in with my blues brothers." There is some irony in Ioane's move given his past long-running feud with former Ireland captain and Leinster player Johnny Sexton, which began when the All Blacks defeated Ireland in the 2023 World Cup quarter-finals, and which has caused some backlash from Irish media.