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Scott Robertson has been accused of “giving up” on New Zealand rugby with his attempts to have foreign-based players cleared to play for the All Blacks.
After his first campaign ended with a win over Italy last week, Robertson said he wanted New Zealand Rugby to review its strict eligibility rules that prevents players overseas from being considered.
“We don’t want to be a cycle behind or a couple of years behind,” Robertson told reporters.
“Professional rugby is always evolving. Let’s keep an open mind and see what’s next. I’ll definitely be presenting.”
(Photo by Koki Nagahama/Getty Images)
World champions South Africa will pick players from anywhere, while Australia has the freedom to chose overseas players.
“They get the opportunity to use a lot of experienced players who are looked after and managed well into their 30s so they’ve got a great balance and they’ve got big squads, they can have two really quality fifteens,” said Robertson of South Africa.
World Cup-winning flyhalf Stephen Donald told The Run Home radio show that players had to make a choice between the jersey and money available overseas.
“The biggest issue for me, and call me old school, call me whatever – there has got to be an element of sacrifice,” Donald said.
“We’d go around and I’m sure they are still in the environment saying, you get the guys at press conferences, saying ‘Oh, this black jersey means so much to me’. Well, at some point in your life, you got to prove it.
Donald said Razor’s comments were aimed at getting Japan-based Richie Mo’unga back in the fold.
(Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
“Let’s not sugar-coat it, this is about getting Richie Mo’unga back – it’s one person,” Donald said.
“Well, let’s talk about sacrifice. Beauden Barrett and Damian McKenzie – look maybe Richie Mo’unga at his best is better than both of them – but both of them have sacrificed and I don’t think I’m being outlandish here to suggest $1 million.
“They would have both sacrificed $1 million because they put a price on the All Black jersey, and that’s what they were prepared to give up to go again.
“They could have gone to Japan too, people like Damian, for example, is probably even more attractive in Japan than a Richie is because of the way he plays.”
Donald contrasted Mo’unga to All Blacks legends Jonah Lomu and Richie McCaw who stayed in New Zealand instead of switching codes or moving overseas.
“So I got hot because of this. You’ve got to make sacrifices,” Donald said.
“Jonah Lomu is why we all got paid as rugby players because he sacrificed the Dallas Cowboys, the NRL and Super League before rugby was even professional. Because the kid from Otara, who went to Wesley, who came from Tonga, who had nothing decided that the black jersey had a price, and the price he was prepared to sacrifice was all of these offers.
“Richie McCaw never left New Zealand. Richie McCaw is never going to have to work a day in his life because he is the greatest All Black of all time, he has won two World Cups, and he went out and did it, and New Zealand will always look after Richie because of what he’s done for the country.
“So you can say ‘Oh look we can’t hold guys back and they have to go over all of this’ – that’s fine but look historically how it has happened. Look at Richie, look at Jonah, we need heroes.”
Donald added that he didn not believe New Zealand was in the same position as South Africa, who didn’t face similar recruitment challenges.
“This South African argument will never wash with me because South Africa doesn’t have the Warriors, doesn’t have the Melbourne Storm, doesn’t have Steve Adams, doesn’t Auckland FC and Phoenix taking all the young kids eyes and wanting to be football players,” Donald said.
“South Africans don’t deal with that. If you are an Afrikaans kid in South Africa, you don’t have an option, you are going to be a rugby and that’s what you are going to do and you are going to strive to be a Springbok.”
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.