A stampede of Super Rugby players have headed north during the Super Rugby off season.
There is no reason for this trend to stop in the near future – the pay gap is just too big. French and English clubs with huge pots of TV money at their disposal will continue to import the best southern hemisphere talent available.
The goal is to have the best league competition in the world. Both the French and English competitions are desperate to import the talent that will place them on par with Super Rugby. Every year the gap is narrowing and the rugby is becoming more entertaining.
Traditionally the allure of playing for your country has held the best of southern hemisphere players in Super Rugby. Previously you saw predominantly veteran players heading overseas to cash in during their twilight years, as is understandable.
Not anymore.
Imagine achieving that goal of playing a Test match for your country. Of course there are trophies to be won but you are young and have plenty of time (so you think). Then an agent representing a team based beautiful town in the French countryside, offering triple your current pay and a chance to play European Cup rugby. What would you do?
A two-year contract is not forever and international travel will make you windswept and interesting!
The powerhouse southern rugby nations have a big problem on their hands.
South Africa were the first to crack, allowing foreign based players to also represent their country.
Australia introduced the ‘Giteau Law’ earlier this year so that Matt Giteau could be brought into the Wallabies squad for the World Cup. Drew Mitchell also benefited from the rule change. The law states if you have played 60+ Tests for Australia then you are permitted to ply your trade overseas and still be picked in the national squad.
New Zealand have yet to break, desperately trying to hold on to their beloved ‘All Black’ culture. How long this can remain the status quo will be interesting to watch. The international retirement of several big name players (including Dan Carter, Richie McCaw and Conrad Smith) along with some of the up coming talent being poach will test the administration.
| Name | 2015 Club | 2015-16 Club |
| Nic White | Brumbies | Montpellier |
| Jesse Mogg | Brumbies | Montpellier |
| Wilhelm Steenkamp | Force | Brive |
| Zack Holmes | Force | La Rochelle |
| Paul Alo-Emile | Rebels | Stade Français |
| Telusa Veainu | Rebels | Leicester Tigers |
| James Horwill | Reds | Harlequins |
| Will Genia | Reds | Stade Français |
| Quade Cooper | Reds | Toulon |
| James O’Connor | Reds | Toulon |
| Lachlan Turner | Reds | Toulon |
| Sekope Kepu | Waratahs | Bordeaux |
| Brendan McKibbin | Waratahs | London Irish |
| Adam Ashley-Cooper | Waratahs | Bordeaux |
| Peter Betham | Waratahs | Leicester Tigers |
| Taqele Naiyaravoro | Waratahs | Glasgow Warriors |
| Luke Braid | Blues | Bordeaux |
| Brendon O’Connor | Blues | Leicester Tigers |
| Francis Saili | Blues | Munster |
| Frank Halai | Blues | Wasps |
| Charles Piutau | Blues | Wasps |
| Ben Tameifuna | Chiefs | Racing 92 |
| Ross Filipo | Chiefs | Racing 92 |
| Hosea Gear | Chiefs | Clermont |
| Dan Carter | Crusaders | Racing 92 |
| Colin Slade | Crusaders | Pau |
| Tom Taylor | Crusaders | Toulon |
| Ben Franks | Hurricanes | London Irish |
| Jeremy Thrush | Hurricanes | Gloucester |
| Ma’a Nonu | Hurricanes | Toulon |
| Conrad Smith | Hurricanes | Pau |
| Victor Matfield | Bulls | Northampton Saints |
| Flip van der Merwe | Bulls | Clermont |
| Jacques du Plessis | Bulls | Montpellier |
| Montpellier | Cheetahs | Toulon |
| Jannie du Plessis | Sharks | Montpellier |
| Matt Stevens | Sharks | Toulon |
| Bismarck du Plessis | Sharks | Montpellier |
| Mouritz Botha | Sharks | Newcastle Falcons |
| Willem Alberts | Sharks | Stade Français |
| François Steyn | Sharks | Montpellier |
| Steven Kitshoff | Stormers | Bordeaux |
| Manuel Carizza | Stormers | Racing 92 |
| Michael Rhodes | Stormers | Saracens |
| Duane Vermeulen | Stormers | Toulon |
| Jean de Villiers | Stormers | Leicester Tigers |
Of course there is the benefit of being able to develop more young talent to replace those leaving, along with the probable diminishing power of both French and English national teams as their home born players have less opportunity to play top class rugby.
However the loss of established players will hurt international rugby unless rules are changed to enhance the chances of the best players representing their countries. If New Zealand and Australia continue not to pick overseas players then gradually both teams will look and play like the West Indies cricket team. Second string players representing their country while the first class talent plays in leagues for the cash.
As both Australia and New Zealand lack the resources to compete in the international market they need to find another way to keep their talent motivated to play in their national colours. Loyalty is a word from a bygone era. It is not that the players lack loyalty when they are at a club, it’s just that loyalty to one club for a career is no longer the main consideration. Clubs think the same and player movement is no longer an issue.
Maybe World Rugby could organise a new international tournament that can be played two years after every World Cup so that the four-year cycle is broken in half. A tournament that will capture the imagination of players so that they will stay focused on playing for their country.
Give the tournament a funky name like the International Champions Cup and play it in the June-July international window before a shortened Rugby Championship. The tournament to be played in the southern hemisphere in large stadiums with a revenue sharing deal in place so no nation will lose out.
To alleviate player burnout concerns cap the amount of games an individual player can start per season, including for their clubs (like the French do now and the New Zealand set up rest their core players for four matches during the Super Rugby season).
Imagine the top four Six Nations teams (from the year before as this needs time for the nations to organise), the four Rugby Championship teams and four invited nations from around the world playing in four groups of three teams. You could have one team from each of the Six Nations, Rugby Championship and invited nation in each group.
Top team from each group plays the semi-final. The other eight nations play for a lesser Plate or Shield, whatever you want to call it.
The winner of the tournament grabs headlines and feels like a king while four rugby-playing nations experience world class competition that they previously would not have had the chance to receive.
I’m getting excited just writing about it!
rugbymad nz
Guest
plain n simple mate , just to much rugby on tv ,player welfare is a problem for all nations,if you add more rugby to the calander,it will b boring
ClarkeG
Roar Guru
Tinfoil. I didn’t make an assumption – didn’t need to. Piutau was not named in the team. I no more needed to make an assumption regarding Piutau’s non selection than any other player that was or was not selected. I have not made an accusation of the selectors or NZR so I never had to create an assumption to support an accusation. Feel free to list the “far more supporting evidence” you talk of that meets your level of proof. Unless that evidence includes a direct quote from a selector or a NZR representative that Piutau was not selected for the RWC squad because he had not resigned with NZR, then I’m quite sure I can counter it.
Tinfoil Hat
Guest
It may not meet your level of proof, but it has far more supporting evidence that your 'assumption" that the reason for him not being selected was something other than his signing with a NH team.
Owen
Guest
Disagree. Mercenary players will mean the end of International football. The eligibility rules for International football need to be tightened by World Rugby not the ARU or NZRU. It should require at the least a passport and or place of birth until a certain age. Exceptions can be dealt with by tribunal with no switches.
gatesy
Roar Guru
All great ideas, but I am a student of the internet, and a disciple of international business. I know that people research and come to the table, well informed and ready to buy. I know that you can't argue with trends I know that Rugby players do their homework and go to overseas clubs, based on what they are going to be offered. Yes, we have seen, in recent times, that the exodus of Aussie players was largely blokes who, either weren't going to make the Wallabies, or Wallabies at the end of their careers. Make no mistake, that will change. Rugby players are now mercenaries, and why shouldn't they be. Every man (and woman) has the god given right to use their talent to the best of their advantage. So, in a nutshell (and I say that because i could write a book about this) - if we are going to get the ultimate WIN - WIN - then we need to open the floodgates. Let the dogs out!! Let blokes go overseas, and let them all be eligible to play for their country. What will happen is that some overseas clubs will try to block them - that will come back to how effective their managers are - if the manager negotiates a contract that allows the guy to be blocked from representing his country, that manager is not going to attract too many clients - market forces will ultimately be the decider. If a young guy with, say 20 tests under is belt, age 24 - 26 is blocked from representing Australia, because his manager stuffed it up, then market forces will come into play and that manager will be on the nose. Let the free market work. There might be a hiatus for a few years, but you can't fight progress. Yes, Bill Pulver is doing an almighty job of trying to keep blokes like David Pocock and Steve Moore and Michael Cheika from going overseas, but he is probably trying to turn back the tide. Let the ones who want to go, go and pay the ones that want to stay, very well - but foremost, let the market do what it will.
cuw
Guest
OB there was never a doubt about DC's ability to play. the issue was if or when the pieces would fall apart. by some miracle the glue stayed tight till the end. once or twice there were times the entire team, staff and all the supporters has their heart in the mouth when he went down clutching that knee. only option if ever, was to take Sopoaga instead of Slade. but slade is more experienced, covers more positions and did play well in patches for crusaders. for me the interesting part was the gambles the management took in their entire selection. for example they went with only 3 2nd rowers, and opted to have non on the bench in some matches. they went without a recognized fullback to cover Smith though NMS and Slade as well as barrett can play there. there was no designated cover for Savea, though NMS did pop up on the left wing, whereas there were 2 specialist right wings in NMS and naholo and 3 to cover in Smith Slade and barrett. also Hansen's partiality to some players was evident when TKB started ahead of TJP despite not having a super season. while the team did not lose anything , one would have expected the guy who played an entire super season to be ahead of a guy who did not play a game.
pete and paul
Roar Rookie
NZ is doing fine thank you - love of the jersey and representing the ABs will always win out...Australia on the other hand have nothing...SA have gone south while their players go north....and why on earth would Rugby want another layer of competition...jeez...there are only so many trophies/cups/shields the NZRU can put in the cabinet...not more places for another...let it go and leave it as it is....Rugby is NOT Soccer
ClarkeG
Roar Guru
You don’t need proof? Mmmmm Yep - on that note I’m happy to leave it there. Well at least until the issue comes up again.
taylorman
Guest
Hence my point...it is more obvious to some rather than others, Piutau himself being in the former. For me, I don't need 'proof'... because its obvious. Guess we'll leave it at that.
ClarkeG
Roar Guru
What is obvious to me is that no where in that quote does it say that because Piutau had not re-signed with NZR he would not be selected for the World Cup. Interestingly that article you reference only quotes the piece that suits the writer’s pitch. Hansen also said “Does it make him ineligible for the World Cup? No it doesn’t.” Until such time as Hansen, or any of the other selectors or NZR, publicly state that Piutau was in fact not selected because he had not re-signed – and to date only the contrary has occurred as far as I am aware - then it can only be an assumption and not fact no matter how obvious it might be otherwise to certain people.
Chris
Guest
Was impressive but one tackle bust does not make you a test player (obviously his one cap does, pre-empting a smart reply). He is still at the lower end of our depth for wingers at this point.
Taylorman
Guest
https://nz.sports.yahoo.com/a/26968615/its-time-steve-hansen-faced-reality/ Perhaps more obvious to some than others. "It does make it harder for CP to be selected for the World cup' probably doesn't have too many other meanings.
mapu
Guest
way too much sense going on in this thread...lol...na some good opinions and ideas.
soapit
Guest
not really true tho. talented kids at rugby taking a shot at the other code that has many more opportunities for pro contracts without having to leave oz (albeit with much greater competition) is a bit different to it being a fulfillment of their boyhood dreams. and jumping over to league in jersey flegg after school for a few years isnt the same as being a product of their pathways by most peoples definition i'd say.
Old Bugger
Guest
Fair call Jerry cos I'd be the first to admit that I also, had my doubts about DC....but gees, didn't he just turn up and turn it on??
ClarkeG
Roar Guru
Jerry it is an assumption because as far as I am aware it is not fact.
ClarkeG
Roar Guru
just a small point - Ngatai is an All Black as well - Substitute vs Samoa.
ClarkeG
Roar Guru
That stability that Crotty brings is the very reason I would select him ahead of any of those players if I was selecting an All Black team today.
Jerry
Guest
Yeah, I don't think he was badly treated. He was in better form at 10 than either of Barrett or Slade but he has no utility value so unless they were gonna take him as first choice, he was gonna struggle. They chose Carter who validated the selection.
Barry the all black supporter
Guest
A lot of rugby players are coming through rugby league path ways and dreaming of the NRL. It's the truth. Rocky Elsom played jersey flegg and only played rugby professionally because he couldn't get into the NRL