During this week’s session with my touch team (yes it may have taken place in the local pub instead of the field), I got to talking to one of my team mates who had just returned from a three year stint playing for a UK rugby club.
Now 29-years old and recovering from a serious injury which forced him to return to Australia, he was at that dreary point in his life which all professional footballers eventually have to face.
What to do for income now?
Fortunately for him he knuckled down a great contract and managed to walk away with some decent coin giving him some time under his belt to figure out his options for the future.
It is now honed into any young footballer that they must strike while the iron is hot. Opportunities that provide great financial gain are rare and as we have come to learn, changing your national allegiance is often required.
After this weekend’s dismal Bledisloe Cup result, much of the talk has been about controversial Wallaby Mike Harris, a New Zealand born and raised flyhalf who only moved across the ditch two years ago after serving his earlier years with provincial club North Harbour.
Harris qualifies for Australia due to a grandmother who was born here.
Cranky All Blacks coach Steve Hansen had a dig at Harris post match, accusing Australia of poaching the Kiwi native in an off-the-cuff reply during the after match press conference.
“It’s time you start developing players in your own country,” he responded after being questioned if it was embarrassing that Harris went unnoticed by the NZRU.
Harris and Australia Rugby Union’s John O’Neill were quick to fire back, pointing the finger at New Zealand’s previous recruiting of Pacific Islanders.
“I would not even want to guess how many players born in the South Pacific islands have worn the All Blacks’ jersey – the reality is there are players who will look for opportunities to play test rugby,” O’Neill responded.
And so the tiresome player allegiance debate is again doing its rampant rounds through the rugby community. Not wanting to miss out on the chat, I put it to two of my kiwi mates both playing over here after having picked up Australian Super Rugby contracts.
“If there seemed no chance of you ever wearing the black jersey, would you represent Australia,” I put to them.
Both said they would, to quote one: “You have to take the best opportunity available, embrace it and never look back.”
Now this does suck to admit, but in today’s game you have to go where the financial safety and stability is and I commend Harris on making it into the Wallabies squad.
Harris, a former New Zealand under-20′s squad member, a squad which boasted the likes of current All Blacks Israel Dagg and Aaron Smith, would have been insane to turn down any opportunity with the Wallabies. If he didn’t he would more than likely be another Super Rugby player eventually looking for financial reward overseas.
“I played in New Zealand for 20 years and I wasn’t getting an opportunity but got one with the Reds and (coach) Ewen McKenzie. And I’m thankful for that,” Harris told the media on Monday.
“I have got Australian blood and am proud to be Australian, if that makes me eligible, then so be it.”
Gone are the early days of international rugby where all that ever counted aside from on field form was residency. Professional rugby is just that – professional. Your humble footy player is now a businessman and must treat football as profitable enterprise.
If that means turning your back on your country then so be it.
Worked for Russell Crowe.
Sergio from Italy
Guest
I do respect Steve Hansen and believe the All Blacks the best test team in the world. As Italian we benefitted of several New-Zealand born players eligible for Italy because of their ancestry (such as Aaron Persico, Kaine Robertson, but also the Aussies Craig Gower and Julian Gardner, not to mention the Argentinian-born Diego Dominguez whose mother is Italian). Nonetheless I can't but make one or two considerations: 1. according to Hansen ARFU are picking up NZ players instead of growing their own ones (i find it difficult to believe for a country that has 4 times the amount of population of NZ): but if they are that good why haven't they played at Test level for NZ (let alone Super Rugby level)? 2. You might reply to the above question that maybe they were not that good for playing at Test level for NZ. Thus my answer is, so what? Would that be a big loss for NZ? As I said, I do respect Steve Hansen and don't know such Mr. O'Neill, but I think that Hansen's complain is pointless: you can't make a player guilty of choosing (or better: you can't deny a player the chance to wear) a jersey different from their native one, especially if you're in the position to give that player a chance to wear just *THAT* jersey. In this occasion Hansen looks like a farmer who complains because another farmer is eating the apples he refused to pick from his own tree...
Mantis
Roar Guru
Thats a terrible analogy.
Kiwi G
Guest
I think Steve Hanson should of kept tight lipped on this one it just showed a little chink in the amour, Mike Harris did his time in NZ and archived all he could there NZ is fortunate to have an abundance of talent. If u can't crack it in the best team in the world the next best thing would be to play against them. I asked kiwi born former brumby and wallaby rake Jeremy Paul once if he aspired to be an AB his reply"of course but I was never good enough" if kiwis can't make it to that hallowed black jumper Its great to see them find there good fortune elsewhere. Let's be honest this wouldn't have been mentioned if the ABs had of put them away fly kiwi brothers fly!!!
richard
Guest
To Mike, the point I was making is that the eligibility rules were changed recently by the IRB, this was put forward by the NH as a means of preventing nz from "poaching" pi talent. The real reason, was that the poms could use these laws to accesss foreign talent that was permeating the british - read English - game.It is no coincidence that you are seeing more foreigners in their national team.Oz has taken advantage of that, and followed suit. I have no objection to our players plying their trade overseas for foreign clubs, but it should end there. Let's just say we agree to disagree on this issue.
Mike
Guest
"the laws as they stand now" are simply life. It is what has always applied. If New Zealand choose to restrict whom they will allow to play for their country, that is entirely their affair. Siimilarly, if Australia chooses to accept players from other countries (which we have always done, nothing new there) and if those players find Australia a more attractive place to live and play, then no-one is entitled to object.
richard
Guest
Thats a laugh,mate . You have 5 super franchises, which you cannot justify as you don't have the player base. Australia's solution - poach players from other countries; without the laws as they stand now, your wb's would barely be competitive at super rugby level, let alone test level.
He'll have to stand in line whilst I ask the plethora who has left SA to play for other nations.
bob
Guest
ask the beast
kiwiinperth
Guest
Funk, actually no I havent, love the Mooloolabah beach tho, one of my favourites, next time im over..
Mike
Guest
Melbourne???? Arrrgghh!
Absolutely.
Sylvester
Guest
I totally agree as well biltongbek. Make as much money as you can at club/franchise level I say, but should not international rugby be about nationalism?
Post
Guest
I have no parents or grandparents from Canada. Your question is irrelevant.
Sandy
Guest
Brilliant Mike, welshing lol, Hansen is your man, he knows about Welshing!! http://www.smh.com.au/photogallery/rugby-union/union-news/hansens-handpicked-foreigners-20121023-281zk.html
Mike
Guest
What's difficult to understand Wally? Brad Thorn sang the Australian national anthem for his tests against New Zealand. Then he moved to NZ, became an All Black and sang the NZ national anthem in tests against Australia. Sometimes that's what happens.
Mike
Guest
He was no more chasing money than every other rugby player on the planet is chasing money. Like all sportspeople, he has an intense desire to succeed, and he was going nowhere unless he could get into a provincial side. Melbourne offered him the opportunity, and he was fortunate enough to be eligible to play in Australia or New Zealand, so he took the opportunity offered.
Mike
Guest
There's nothing weird about it. Brad Thorn played league in Australia from the age of 8. He stood up and sang the Australian national anthem in tests against New Zealand. Then at age 26 (older than Harris) he moved to New Zealand. He gained selection into the All Blacks and then sang the New Zealand national anthem in tests against Australia. It happens. And Steve Hansen knows it happens, because he recruited plenty of mature foreign players for Wales when he was there. He's just blowing smoke.
Mike
Guest
Sam, that isn't a reason. Thorn's parents moved to Australia when he was eight. He grew up in Australia playing league. He was thus eligible to play in either country. When he was 26 he chose to move to New Zealand to play rugby there, just as Harris chose to move to Australia to play rugby there. People are allowed to move. Something to do with living in a free society.
Mike
Guest
We're going to replace him with a poached kiwi.
Mike
Guest
No-one has dealt with the reverse issue - if we decide to send some players BACK to where they came from, is that welshing on our commitments? :)