Ex-AB says French contracts fried
The days of New Zealand rugby players feathering their financial nests in France were on thin ice even before Covid-19 shook up the world.
Former All Black Simon Mannix, who coached French club Pau for five seasons before he was let go and accepted a role as head coach of all national teams with the Singapore Rugby Union, could foresee the glory days in France coming to an end for Kiwi professionals well before the pandemic forced the Top 14 competition to grind to a halt.
Mannix said when he exited Pau it was already clear it would become difficult for New Zealanders to combine a life on the continent with a well-paid rugby experience.
Because, in essence, the French were already seeking ways to nurture the best produce in its back yard rather than shell out for foreigners.
If that country’s raw talent is harvested properly and receives the right technical expertise, Mannix believes France could be the favourite to win the World Cup on home soil in 2023.
From next year, Top 14 clubs will be required to have an average of 16 academy trained players in their match-day squads across each season, a move that will put the squeeze on the need to import nonFrenchmen.
Mannix said top New Zealand players could still find a club, but at a reduced price in the wake of the pandemic.
‘‘There may be high quality foreigners on the payroll, but there will be less of them,’’ Mannix said. ‘‘That is a definite. But what level are clubs going to come back at?
‘‘There is talk that a lot of clubs are under huge financial difficulty, which is no surprise. I think there will be a lot less New Zealanders who will go to play in France.’’
A revamped Japanese competition, which will also appeal to New Zealanders because the workload is much lighter and NZ Rugby is already fostering relationships with clubs there, could also sever the French connection.
France has traditionally been one of the go-to places for All Blacks wanting to step out of test rugby, usually after a World Cup cycle, to reboot their enthusiasm for the game and earn a substantial wage.
But Mannix warned the French were already starting to make progress in terms of developing players before the World Cup in Japan in 2019; although Les Bleus disappointed in that tournament, they were beaten by Wales in the quarterfinal, he said they were finally beginning to understand just how much quality cattle they have on home soil.
‘‘I would probably say France has got more raw talent than any other country in the world.’’
The key, he said, was for the French to provide technical coaching to talented players at a younger age. While New Zealand Rugby mastered this art ages ago, and realised the need to upskill teenagers was vital, the French development programmes were not as detailed.
Mannix was especially excited by the potential of the young men who have north African heritage.
‘‘They are incredible athletes I have got to say,’’ he said.
‘‘But technically . . . if they were in New Zealand they would be dominating world rugby today in some of their positions.
‘‘But they are not exposed to that high level of detail that New Zealand rugby is all about, particularly coming through the schooling.’’