logo
All Blacks: New Zealand Rugby's lessons from Jordie Barrett's Irish sabbatical success

All Blacks: New Zealand Rugby's lessons from Jordie Barrett's Irish sabbatical success

NZ Herald2 days ago
By its own admission, New Zealand Rugby's sabbatical policy doesn't solve every problem the game in Aotearoa faces.
But if Jordie Barrett's time with Irish giants Leinster is anything to go by, the national body is continuing to find ways of keeping the All Blacks' best and brightest on Kiwi
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Questions over AB's team selection following Mo'unga return
Questions over AB's team selection following Mo'unga return

RNZ News

time7 hours ago

  • RNZ News

Questions over AB's team selection following Mo'unga return

It has been an interesting last 24 hours for the All Blacks, as confirmation came through that Richie Mo'unga will be returning next season. Mo'unga will be eligible for test rugby in time for the end of year tour and the 2027 Rugby World Cup. However, the news effects more than just team selection, with the rebel R360 competition trying to get off the ground at around about the same time. Sports reporter Jamie Wall spoke to Lisa Owen. Tags: To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.

Robertson's wish granted with Mo'unga's return in (red and) black
Robertson's wish granted with Mo'unga's return in (red and) black

1News

time10 hours ago

  • 1News

Robertson's wish granted with Mo'unga's return in (red and) black

After "bureaucratic bumbling and hidebound nonsense about eligibility", Scotty Stevenson says the right call has been made. Seven super rugby titles, four national championships, 56 test appearances and, apparently, a bit of unfinished business. Richie Mo'unga has signed on the dotted line to return to New Zealand at the conclusion of the next League One season in Japan, linking up with Canterbury and the Crusaders and securing pole position to guide the All Blacks around the park in the next Rugby World Cup. His management team has played an absolute blinder. Forget all the bureaucratic bumbling and hidebound nonsense about eligibility. Mo'unga will be back in the All Blacks before October next year, despite that date standing as New Zealand Rugby's current assessment of the eligibility equation. If you want a guy that badly you'll sign him up on an 18-month contract, why waste three of those months? They're your rules; change them. It's a win for Mo'unga, who has seen his already high stock price soar in Japan following an MVP-and title-winning season with Toshiba in League One. This is high performance contracting at its best, a deal that allows him to return home, execute a short-term assignment with his old gaffer, and get out of dodge while the going's still good. ADVERTISEMENT It pays to be wanted in this world, and with Robertson making no secret of his desire to have Mo'unga's services at his disposal, Mo'unga and his team have been able to time this to perfection. Richie Mo'unga applauds the crowd during his time with Japanese club Toshiba. (Source: Getty) That's not to say this is a zero-sum game. The All Blacks will benefit massively from having Mo'unga back in the fold. Depth at ten is crucial in the quest for a world cup win (2011, anyone?) and, while Beauden Barrett and Damien McKenzie have utility value and undeniable skill sets and Reuben Love has upside in abundance, Mo'unga is a dedicated first five eighth who - more than any other player in the current squad - can operate as the ultimate Razor Whisperer. New Zealand Rugby was at great pains to play down the All Blacks link in its official press release announcing Mo'unga's new deal. Apart from the arbitrary aside regarding the October 2026 'official' eligibility for national selection, and a sprinkling of statistics alluding to his test match record, the All Blacks aren't given a mention. The national body figured it best to use the Crusaders as the smoke and Canterbury as the mirror, which is genuinely wholesome stuff. But let's not kid ourselves: He ain't coming back for the bright lights of the NPC. The morning's headlines in 90 seconds, including a cold weekend on the way, Israel reveals a new plan in Gaza, and what not do when driving over a rail crossing. (Source: 1News) It's ironic that the one man who most wanted him to come home, Scott Robertson, was not quoted at all in yesterday's announcement. That's understandable in part because he has a duty of care to his current All Blacks team and has doubtlessly learned that it's tough to build trust with your new mates when all you do is talk about your old ones. ADVERTISEMENT Still, it might have been better to get the plaudits and platitudes out of the way now, rather than face a test week in Argentina fielding the inevitable incoming questions. There will be intrigue now in the response to this news from those with designs on the All Blacks famous number ten jersey. Neither Barrett nor McKenzie will be under any illusions that Mo'unga's return has upped the stakes for the rest of this season and beyond. If their response is another lift in performance, the All Blacks will be the biggest winners of all, well before they let their star signing anywhere near the jersey he had once made his own.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store