Piutau’s trailblazing path good investment

Trailblazer Charles Piutau wants to be remembered as proof that rugby stars can leave New Zealand early to make their name and fortune in bigger economies.

It might not be the statement New Zealand Rugby want to hear as they fight to stop the everincreasing exodus of talent to rich European and Japanese clubs, but Piutau has already proven as good as his word.

Turning his back on the All Blacks at just 23 with 17 tests to his name, Piutau now owns the label of rugby’s highest earner as he settles into a two-year deal at Bristol Bears worth a reported NZ$3.38m.

The dazzling outside back made his name and fame in the black jersey but cashed that in to make his fortune offshore.

Piutau says not everyone can be a Jonah Lomu or Richie McCaw and when his dream of a 2015 World Cup was shattered, he had to look at alternatives.

A controversial signing with English club Wasps followed by moves to Ulster and Bristol have set him up for life.

‘‘If I was to retire today, I’d say my legacy was showing that leaving New Zealand early, you can still make a career for yourself. I haven’t looked back and regretted it once,’’ Piutau told INews.co.uk.

The youngest of 10 children, Piutau set out to reward his parents for their hard work in bringing up their large family in south Auckland. He’s well on his way to that and he’s determined not to waste his fortune.

‘‘We have agents and financial planners and good people around us,’’ Piutau, now 27, said.

‘‘If I didn’t have that plan, it could all go to waste. One easy example would be investing in property. I have a couple of residential properties in Auckland, and I’m looking to get more. It has opened my eyes, coming overseas.’’

Playing alongside his good friend and former Auckland, Blues and All Blacks team-mate Steven Luatua, Piutau says his immediate focus is on making sure his ambitious club Bristol prosper in the English Premiership having been promoted this season.

It’s a tough environment with Bristol lying 10th in the 12 team championship, having won just four of 12 matches with a haul of bonus points keeping them clear of fellow strugglers Worcester and bottomplaced Newcastle in a relegation tangle.

‘‘Seeing what it means to the Bristol fans, and where the club has been, up and down, I am loving this environment,’’ Piutau told INews.co.uk.

‘‘I want to look back and see I was part of the Bristol team solidifying it as a strong household name in the premiership. We can create something that future generations can carry on. Exeter, where they are now, are an example. You see it internationally, with what the All Blacks have done. It would be great to see the same from a Bristol Bears perspective.’’

‘‘If I was to retire today, I’d say my legacy was showing that leaving New Zealand early, you can still make a career for yourself.’’ Charles Piutau, left, in action for the All Blacks against the Wallabies in 2013