Jayden Sa: a try in the World U20 Championship final, and a Ranfurly Shield win at 19

Jayden Sa was 19 when he came off the Taranaki bench in Nelson for the last ten minutes of a Ranfurly Shield win. Nine months later he scored New Zealand's first try in the final of the World Rugby U20 Championship in Italy. The Christ's College old boy, who turned 21 in January 2026, has been in the Chiefs squad since 2026 and still has his Super Rugby debut in front of him, and he will chase it in 2027 in the same squad as his older brother, Fiti. This is his story so far.

Christchurch and Christ's College

Sa was born on 14 January 2005 and went to school in Christchurch. RNZ reported in June 2022, in a story republished by the Star, that he grew up in a hard-working Samoan family and was proud of his Samoan culture.

That story was about his school. Sa was in the Christ's College First XV in 2022. Seeing boys from other schools wear the ie faitaga, a formal Samoan garment, got him and then his teachers thinking, and assistant principal Neil Porter made it happen: the college added the ie faitaga to its uniform for Pasifika students. "It motivates me just like thinking of family and where I come from," Sa said.

On the field that year, the Crusaders named him in their Junior Crusaders squad, announced on 13 September 2022. NZ Rugby History lists his first club as Shirley, in Christchurch, the same club as his brother.

Taranaki and a Shield at 19

Like Fiti, who had moved north in 2023, Sa took his rugby to Taranaki, and he made his NPC debut in 2024 at 19. He played seven games that season, one as a starter and six off the bench, and scored two tries.

Both came on the same day: in the 12th and 48th minutes of a 33-31 win over Manawatū at Yarrow Stadium in New Plymouth on 29 September 2024.

A week later he was on the bench for Taranaki's Ranfurly Shield challenge against Tasman at Trafalgar Park in Nelson on 6 October 2024. He came on in the 70th minute, RugbyPass's match record shows, and Taranaki won 42-29 to begin, as Sports News Taranaki put it, their eighth Shield reign. Taranaki lost their quarter-final to Waikato 15-14 in New Plymouth on 12 October 2024.

He played six more NPC games in 2025, five of them as a starter, by NZ Rugby History's count, and became part of the Chiefs' pathway: when New Zealand Rugby named its Under 20 squad that year, he was listed as "Chiefs/Taranaki". RugbyPass has written about him and Fiti playing together in the Taranaki pack.

A try in a world final

After time on the sidelines with injury in 2025, Sa was one of three players who made the 30-man New Zealand squad for the World Rugby U20 Championship in Italy on their return, New Zealand Rugby said. He played four games at the tournament.

He started in the second row in the semi-final against France in Viadana on 14 July 2025, which New Zealand won 34-26, and New Zealand Rugby kept the same starting XV for the final. Against South Africa in Rovigo on 19 July 2025, Sa wore No 5 and scored New Zealand's first try in the 16th minute. South Africa won 23-15, and New Zealand finished as runners-up. It was only the second time the two countries had met in the final of the tournament, New Zealand Rugby noted, after 2012.

The Chiefs

The Chiefs named Sa in their squad for the 2026 Super Rugby season on 6 November 2025, one of two new locks, with Aisake Vakasiuola of Bay of Plenty. "Both bring physicality and long-term potential," the club said. Fiti was already in the squad. Jayden did not play a Super Rugby game in 2026, and the Chiefs reached the final, which the Hurricanes won.

His 2026 NPC season was his busiest yet. He played ten games for Taranaki, by RugbyPass's count, and scored two tries: in the 46th minute of a 55-19 win over Southland at Stadium Taranaki in New Plymouth on 20 September 2026, and in the 58th minute of a 68-26 win over Wellington at the same ground on 4 October 2026. Taranaki beat North Harbour 50-31 in a quarter-final at North Harbour Stadium on 10 October 2026 and lost their semi-final to Canterbury 38-28 in Christchurch on 18 October 2026. Those ten games took him to 23 for Taranaki, with four tries.

Brothers in the second row

Jayden is the younger brother of Fiti Sa, born in 2003, who made his Chiefs debut in 2026 and won all six games he played that season. Both brothers' Wikipedia entries record the relationship. The two came through the same school, the same Christchurch club, Taranaki and the Chiefs, and both are listed among the club's seven locks for 2027.

Style and standing

Sa is listed at 1.96m and 117kg on Wikipedia, and has played most of his rugby at lock. When they signed him, the Chiefs spoke of his "physicality and long-term potential".

He has not played Test rugby for any country.

Where he is now

On 28 October 2026 the Chiefs named Sa in their 2027 squad, one of seven locks with Seuseu Naitoa Ah Kuoi, Jai Knight, Josh Lord, Fiti Sa, Tupou Vaa'i and Aisake Vakasiuola. He goes into the season with no Chiefs caps yet. "This is a new team and a new season," head coach Jono Gibbes said in the squad announcement.

Career at a glance

Taranaki figures to the end of 2025 are from NZ Rugby History (RugbyPass counts five games in 2025 rather than six); 2026 figures are from RugbyPass.