Rugby: NZR promise to resolve Etene Nanai-Seturo contract situation

Etene Nanai-Seturo makes a break while playing for St. Kentigern's College. Photo / Getty Images

New Zealand Rugby is promising to resolve the Etene Nanai-Seturo contract situation this week and will respect any legal contract he may have signed.

The 18-year-old has been at the centre of a tug of war between the Warriors NRL club and the 15-man game having shone in both codes during his time at Auckland's St Kentigern's College.

General Manager Rugby Neil Sorenson told the Devlin Radio Show that the legal advice they received is that Nanai-Seturo was available to play for the All Blacks Sevens team at the Sydney Sevens over the weekend.

That prompted an angry response from Warriors chief executive Cameron George, threatening legal action.

"Our advice, when we took him on, was that he was actually free to play," Sorenson said. "If we are told he isn't free to play then he won't be part of the rugby environment.

"We are definitely not walking all over anybody. What needs sorting here is that Etene and his lawyers and his managers and his people need to sort out once and for all what contracts he's signed and where.

"It is up to him and his team.

"They need to sort that really quickly.

"We would welcome him if he was available. They are just sorting through that now.

"It will all be sorted out in a couple of days. He will either be available for other sports or he has to stick with the Warriors. Whichever way that goes we will absolutely be comfortable with that."

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