French threat is
FRENCH rugby is never slow off the mark. Sniff a chance to lure another golden nugget, and throw millions at making it happen. Once again that appears the case with Aaron Cruden.
The All Blacks first fiveeighth, missing from the tour of Argentina and South Africa due to injury, has been linked by reports from Midi-Olympique with a move to Montpellier, where new Kiwi coach Vern Cotter will take charge next year. Cruden is believed to have been offered an annual salary of $1.54m. It should come as no surprise. Cruden is off contract at the end of next year and has slipped behind Beauden Barrett in the pecking order. Shopping him around is all part of the contracting process.
The 27-year-old remains a world-class player; quick on his feet, deceptive with ball in hand and one the All Blacks will be keen to keep. But the money in France and the UK isn’t going away and New Zealand Rugby will never be able to retain all their key assets.
In the face of justified criticism, New Zealand Rugby boss Steve Tew is always banging on about the reasoning behind future expansion plans for Super Rugby. More territories means more broadcast revenue which means more money to pay and retain players.
Even then, Sanzaar nations will never have enough in the war chest to keep a level playing field. They are forever fighting out of their weight class when it comes to French owners.
Australia and South Africa are doing it much tougher than New Zealand at present but the loss of Charles Piutau highlights the vulnerability of players on the fringe of the All Blacks starting team. At some point they all weigh up what is best for them, and when the best time is to cash in.
If Cruden stays second choice within the All Blacks he may well feel next year, following the British and Irish Lions tour, is the right time for him to do exactly that – and no one could begrudge him.
New Zealand Rugby contracts manager Chris Lendrum has admitted some players would naturally leave after the Lions series.
‘‘It’s a big milestone event particularly for players who have been through one or two World Cups and are getting to a later stage in their career,’’ he said last month. ‘‘They will be thinking to themselves whether they have enough petrol in the tank to get through to 2019 or not. If not, there’ll be lots of other outstanding financial opportunities for them. It’s a crossroads for a lot of them. There’s a group of players that have been together for quite some time and been highly successful and it’s a question that someone like myself can’t answer: how much is enough? At what point do you walk away from all that? They’re the ones living the life so they know themselves.’’
They will be thinking to themselves whether they have enough petrol in the tank to get through to 2019 or not.’ CHRIS LENDRUM
The other factor is Cruden has always been close to Chiefs coach Dave Rennie. He lured Cruden away from the Hurricanes in 2012 after mentoring him at Manawatu and Rennie will also sign-off with the Chiefs next season.
Cruden already has one World Cup medal (2011) and two Super Rugby titles to his name. Walking away from the black jersey is a difficult prospect but so, too, is turning down life-changing money.
That’s the choice he now faces.