All Blacks prop Tamaiti Williams re-signs with New Zealand Rugby through to 2029

Crusaders coach Rob Penney predicts that when Tamaiti Williams’ career is all said and done, the versatile prop will be among some of the greats to have played the position.

Over the past couple of years, the 25-year-old has emerged as one of the country’s top front-rowers; establishing himself as the first-choice loosehead prop in Scott Robertson’s All Blacks in 2024, but more than capable of switching to tighthead.

He has also been influential for the Crusaders, anchoring their scrum, scoring from close range and often playing big minutes to showcase his work rate and fitness.

And there will be plenty more to come in the future.

Williams has re-signed with New Zealand Rugby, the Crusaders and Canterbury through to 2029. He becomes the second All Blacks regular to commit for that length, after Damian McKenzie signed on through to 2029 earlier in the year.

“If he’s world-class now, with physical maturity and mental maturity over time, he’ll set the standards. He’ll be right up there with some of the greats,” Penney told Newstalk ZB’s Nick Bewley.

Williams made his debut with the Crusaders in 2021, bringing up his 50th appearance with the side during the 2025 season. During that stretch, he has been a part of four title-winning campaigns with the Christchurch club.

Last weekend, he made his 19th test appearance in the All Blacks’ 29-23 loss to Argentina in Buenos Aires. It was his first appearance of the season at test level after having surgery to repair a torn meniscus, which kept him out of the French series and the All Blacks’ Rugby Championship opener – a 41-24 win over Argentina in Cordoba.

“We know he’s a world-class player, without doubt. He’s proven that time and again. He’s still going through his growth and evolution as still a young man in the front row, and he’ll get better. By the end of his career, he would have stamped his mark deeply on the game. There’s no doubt,” Penney said.

“What we love [with] Tamaiti is his genuineness, his authenticity, his heart and his love and his care for people is incredible, and he brings people to him. We just love having him around and one of the evolvements for Tamaiti, which has been wonderful to watch in my short time here, is his impact in the leadership area. As I said, he’s still relatively young, but his maturity and his worldliness is something that we just love having around and he’s a very, very special man.

“He’ll contribute, not only here but around society with his outlook on life. He’s got a beautiful family and we’re just rapt to have him locked in for that long. He’ll be a great contributor.”

Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.