NZ Rugby digs in for fight to retain rising stars
All Blacks captain Kieran Read, who announced this week he will join Japanese club Toyota Verblitz after the World Cup in Japan, is 33. Read will go with the best wishes of NZ Rugby, given everything he helped the All Blacks achieve since his debut in 2008. But Barrett, Whitelock and Retallick have more to give on the international circuit.
They been offered lucrative deals to play in Japan next year, which, if tethered to their renewed NZ Rugby deals, will mean they skip their Super Rugby duties and some tests.
NZ Rugby chief executive Steve Tew confirmed there was the option of letting players work in Japan, depending on the circumstances and their background stories.
In recent seasons a number of Super Rugby players have already been allowed to skip their provincial duties to play in Japan, providing them with a nice layer of fat on top of the wages paid by NZ Rugby before they return for the next season in New Zealand.
But if Barrett, Whitelock and Retallick are given the green light to skip Super Rugby and tests by playing in Japan – in a unique Top League season that is loaded with two competitions because the World Cup forced a change in scheduling – this will break new ground.
Nothing was off the table, said Tew.
‘‘Breaks, whatever they may be, for players who have served a long time in the game whether be at Super level, test matches or both
. . . if they want to prolong their careers then some gap is important,’’ Tew said.
‘‘Whether or not they play that becomes a matter for them to decide, and for us to discuss with them.’’
Other than to say discussions were ongoing with Barrett, Whitelock and Retallick, and that NZ Rugby was prepared to be patient, Tew wouldn’t say how confident that the three men would recommit.
‘‘I never put a percentage on anything. All I would say is that with all three of those players, we have got great, open contact and dialogue and we know them all really well.
‘‘All three are very thoughtful players, they have already made a huge contribution to both teams they play in and I’m sure they will make the right decisions for themselves. Hopefully that will weigh in our favour.’’
An added complication of letting the players go to Japan is that it would strip the All Blacks of three experienced heads from a team already down on experience. Given Whitelock is the captain-in-waiting it would also complicate matters if he wasn’t available from the outset.
All Blacks blindside flanker Liam Squire has signed a two-year deal with Japanese club NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes, and will move to Japan after the World Cup.
Tighthead prop Owen Franks and centre Matt Proctor will leave for English premiership club Northampton after the tournament, and Nehe MilnerSkudder will link with French side Toulon. Sonny Bill Williams and Ryan Crotty are also expected to be move on at the end of the season.
Tew accepts the Japan market offers pros and cons for NZ Rugby. While it is convenient to allow players to earn good coin during the New Zealand off season, it becomes much more problematic if they elect to permanently cut their ties.
‘‘They [Japan] are a positive opportunity but it is also a bit of a risk, because they are increasingly aggressive for good talent and they are having a crack at a bit of the younger group as well,’’ Tew noted.
Tew used Proctor, who made his test debut for the All Blacks against Japan in Tokyo in November, as an example.
‘‘You have seen Matt Proctor make a decision to go to Europe, after what I thought was a breakthrough season last year. But we will respect the decision he has made and he will go with our best wishes and we will stay in touch with him.
‘‘But if you think post-World Cup or even during the World Cup, he would have been in line. So that group of player is of concern, but nothing has changed.
‘‘We have had to worry about every player from the start to the end. It is just the market place that we play in and the very high regard our players are held in.’’