Call out reatment
What Pacific Island players really want is to nally listening? Paul Cully reports.
er significant time
ed from playing for Tonga for leading a strike [he 11 World Cup]. I do what I se I don’t want other playugh the s..t that I had to.’’ essly banging on the tensely political World sation over the eligibility and fellow the Pacific s founder Seilala Mapusua mething of a lightbulb moment in late 2019. ‘‘It was actually ‘Lala’ [Mapusua] who said, ‘Why are we always
. . . blaming World Rugby when we should be going to New Zealand
[Rugby]’?’’ ctives are simple. After ich Pacific Island rugby ected by Sanzaar, T-Pole truly open its doors to players by allowing more y at Super Rugby level a competition for them. our players here,’’ said the World League concept ut PI players at conflict rope-based clubs.
, second year of Super you’re at that level, to y for us. There’s a risk ly], because you might get Zealand rugby. ne to New Zealand Rugby ed them and said, ‘This of you helping out the s’.
Rugby, you’re allowed w Zealand players. Our hink, ‘I’m playing my f Super Rugby, and I kind ot going to make the All ould be a weapon for
hink, oh s..t, I can’t play w because I’ll be into that
we’ve proposed to New y is: Don’t count us as part of those spots. This can be you helping the Pacific Islands. That will keep our players here.’’
There are multiple players in that situation who never declare for the island nations, contributing to the shameful fact that no Pacific Island nation made it to the quarterfinals of the Rugby World Cup in Japan.
T-Pole knows that the PI nations often don’t help themselves – ‘‘We’ve got our own issues with governance’’ – but still, they have been fighting on the world stage with one hand tied behind their backs.
‘‘Let’s say Johnny, who is 22 years old, he’s not going to make the All Blacks but he’ll be a valuable asset for Fiji,’’ T-Pole said.
‘‘We want him to stay here and develop here but play for Fiji. Let them play. Stay in the system here because it’s very aligned with Tonga. Fiji, Samoa.
‘‘It’s easier to get them into camp, run a one-week camp during the season, like the All Blacks and Australia do.’’
The other area that grates with T-Pole is the lack of competition pathways in New Zealand.
Even though the All Blacks have benefited immensely from the likes of Fijians Joe Rokocoko, Sitiveni Sivavatu and Sevu Reece, when it came to finding a competition for the Fijian Drua side, they had to join Australia’s National Rugby Championship.
There is some light at the end of the tunnel. T-Pole finds new NZ Rugby CEO Mark Robinson much easier to deal with than his predecessor, Tew. In discussions, at least, Robinson has shown a greater desire to get things done.
T-Pole also has a strong ally in NZRPA boss Rob Nichol, who is his conduit to Sanzaar.
Of course, NZ Rugby would have to invest some money in PI players to get these changes through. That’s always the stumbling block but there is growing evidence that Sanzaar nations’ long neglect of the islands might be coming back to bite them commercially.
Super Rugby is stale. ‘‘It’s s..t,’’ T-Pole said of Super Rugby. ‘‘I’ve got better things to do with my kids on a Saturday night.’’