Yokohama Canon Eagles have turned their 2026-27 rebuild into one of Japan Rugby League One’s clearest statements of intent by confirming Stephen Perofeta and Samipeni Finau in a 10-man recruitment class.
The club’s official announcement lists Perofeta as a stand-off/full-back arrival from the Blues and Finau as a lock/back-row signing from the Chiefs, with both players carrying New Zealand Test pedigree. Perofeta is listed at 181cm and 85kg, while Finau arrives at 193cm and 115kg.
Yokohama add Test weight fast
The immediate read is obvious: Yokohama have not treated last season’s lower-table finish as a slow correction. They have bought versatility, All Blacks experience and Super Rugby edge in one window.
Perofeta gives Leon MacDonald’s side a dual-position playmaker who can challenge at 10 and cover the backfield. Finau, meanwhile, brings the heavy contact profile that Yokohama lacked too often when matches turned into collision contests.
RugbyJP reported that the pair headline a wider intake also including Kurt Eklund, Pari Pari Parkinson, Laghlan McWhannell, Gage Jackson, Tiaan Falcon, Keito Tawara, Kan Nakano and Shinichi Tanaka.
Why it matters beyond Japan
For New Zealand rugby, the names are the story. Perofeta and Finau sit inside the same export pattern that has already sharpened debate around All Blacks depth, a theme also visible in ReadRugbyUnion’s latest All Blacks numbers piece. It also places fresh pressure on the national coaching group, including forwards coach Jason Ryan, as another capped forward heads offshore.
For Yokohama, this is simpler. The Eagles have given themselves a spine with genuine Test-grade authority. If MacDonald can fold the arrivals into a coherent shape quickly, their 2026-27 ceiling changes immediately.
