Rich French clubs set to swoop on Barrett
We may be about to see if there is anything to this theory of Lima Sopoaga’s, with French clubs reported to be ready to break the bank to lure All Blacks star Beauden Barrett after the next Rugby World Cup.
According to reports in respected French sports newspaper L’Equipe, Barrett tops the wish-list of wealthy French clubs in the Top 14 as they eye a talent influx in the wake of the 2019 World Cup in Japan. They are said to be ready to smash Dan Carter’s reported world record salary of €1.4 million (NZ$2.48m) a year for his near three seasons with Parisian club Racing 92.
Barrett, as the back-to-back world player of the year and on track to complete an unprecedented hat-trick, is the most sought-after All Black and, according to
L’Equipe, is weighing an audacious bid from Lyon to secure his services post-RWC. Stade Francais, Montpellier and Racing are also said to be in the market for the Kiwi star.
L’Equipe said Lyon had tabled a €1.5m-a-season offer to secure Barrett’s services, and claimed the size of the potential deal had forced him to think hard on it, rather than dismiss it out of hand.
It is highly unlikely that Barrett would bail out on one of the great All Blacks careers at this stage. At just 27 he has already ticked off 66 test matches and scored 30 tries in an unprecedented haul for a No 10.
But NZ Rugby is likely to have to dig deep into its resources to keep its best player at home, which is possibly why this talk of government support to retain players has suddenly surfaced.
It is already set to outlay a small fortune on a deal to take Rieko Ioane through the next two World Cups, but which has still not been announced, despite months of negotiations.
Among the power-brokers of NZ Rugby, concepts such as government-backed player retention programmes don’t get aired without there being a genuine reason for doing so. Clearly Steve Tew and co understand they are going to need help keeping their best players in this country in the face of unprecedented wealth being offered in the north.
Former All Black Sopoaga made headlines this week when the Wasps No 10 suggested the black jersey was no longer enough to keep the best players in New Zealand. He told reporters the money on offer in the north is now at a level that test stars can no longer afford to ignore.
According to L’Equipe, Barrett is not the only potentially off-contract All Black in the crosshairs of the wealthy French club owners post2019.
The paper said midfielder Sonny Bill Williams, unlikely to extend his deal with NZ Rugby after the World Cup, could also break Carter’s record salary, with Stade Francais said to be at the head of a long queue for his services. It’s likely NRL clubs will also be in that line of suitors.
Reports in the north indicate Williams has already rejected a reported annual €1.35m offer from English Premiership club Wasps, and he has a previous association with Toulon that is likely to see the south of France outfit pop up in any negotiations.
Other All Blacks reported to be on the French-hit-list include loose forward Ardie Savea (Pau) and wing Nehe Milner-Skudder, who was a star of the 2015 World Cup victory but has had his opportunities curtailed by injury since.
Leading Wallabies Israel Folau, Marika Koroibete and David Pocock and Springboks lock Eben Etzebeth were also nominated by the French paper as being among the most sought-after free-agent targets for after the World Cup.
It is inevitable that New Zealand Rugby will lose some senior players after the global tournament. But it will be doing everything in its power to ensure that test stars at the peak of their powers, such as Barrett, are not among the exodus.
It is highly unlikely that Barrett would bail out on one of the great All Blacks careers at this stage. At just 27 he has already ticked off 66 test matches and scored 30 tries in an unprecedented haul for a No 10.