New Zealand and their All Blacks will lose a large number of experienced campaigners and key players after the 2015 Rugby World Cup, next year.
This was highlited due to the announcement this week by Dan Carter that he’ll be joining French Top 14 club Racing Metro after the Rugby World Cup next year, in England and Wales.
Carter, 32, signed a three-year deal with the Paris-based club which will basically mean the end of his All Black career.
However, Carter may not be the only one to leave New Zealand shores.
It appears that captain Richie McCaw, midfielders Ma’a Nonu and Conrad Smith, veteran front-rowers Tony Woodcock and Keven Mealamu, loose forwards Jerome Kaino and Liam Messam and even Ben Franks, Cory Jane and Charlie Faumuina could also be considering high-paying, late-career stints overseas.
Don’t be fooled though, the same situation applies to the Wallabies of Australia and the Springboks in South Africa!
It would be the dawn of a new era for the All Blacks, who employ a policy of not picking players plying their trade outside New Zealand.
A possible loss of several key payers does not concern NZ Rugby CEO Steve Tew though.
Tew made it clear that a cleanout of veteran players would not throw any sort of a wrench into coach Steve Hansen’s works for 2016 and beyond. Succession planning, he said, was a big part of the thinking at head office.
“I’d like to think we’re well advanced in that regard,” said Tew.
“If you look at some of the talent backing up some of these jerseys, they’d probably now be 30, 40 or 50 tests in any other country.”
The All Blacks are the defending world champions and would become the first team to defend a Rugby World Cup title if they emerge victorious in next year’s competition.
The 2015 Rugby World Cup runs from 18 September to 31 October.
Xmas has come early, Wayne Smith back in black.
@ NZINCHINA:
Meri Kirihimete e hoa e noho I te whenua o te Hainamana.
E pai ana to korero…Ka hoki atu te Rangatira, Ko Wayne Smith.
Ae, Nau mai, Haere mai, Hoki mai ano.
Chur Bro, China….Merry Christmas
At the end of the day… no country has the depth of coaching expertise that Nz has….maybe that is where it’s at…when you start transferring it into the pool of players at their disposal.
Throw in the legacy of the Ab jersey and you have a powerful mixture geared for success… But hey we all know that there is no guarantees in any sport, let alone Rugby, but at least Nz Rugby gives it their best shot.
Merry Christmas South Africa…Worthy foes and good people…
@ Te Rangatira:
Merry Xmas Rangi, have a good one mate.
@ NZINCHINA:
Yeah Bro…have a good one with your Family.
And to the last of the Mohicans…. Cane… Chur Doi….Merry Christmas.
4 @ Te Rangatira:
Many thanks for the wishes.
I truly hope the WHOLE of the Rugby world has a peacefull and restfull time over the next few days.
(OK Maybe not Dylan Hartely who remains an arch prat!)
@ Scrumdown:
@ Te Rangatira:
@ NZINCHINA:
😉
God Bless you All……………………………………………………………………….well most of you anyway………………………………………………………….I don’t want to get too carried away with this good will to everyone thing.
Oh WTF.
It’s only once a year.
TO EVERYONE, MERRY CHRISTMAS.
(that’s you too Fernly).
cane.
😉
@ cane: just returned from the Weskus ‘bush’. Which offers the first opportunity for me to wish everyone and their families all the best for the season.
May 2015 be a year we can all look forward to. Great rugby. Great times.
cheers mates
@ Te Rangatira:
4 Thanks for the “worthy foes” comment.
God bless you and yours.
Rye
@ ryecatcher:
To all RT posters,
Best wishes for Xmas to you and your families.
Rye
Early Christmas wishes to each & every one of you & your loved ones no matter where you are on this planet when you read this… & all the best for a wonderful New Year!
Fark, just because I am quiet and have not managed to add a host of new Articles here, does’nt mean you must all buggeroff for an early Christmas!!
Been bloody well busy with some more website development for some other folks… someone has to keep the tills rolling!
Hoping to finish another of the Prop Articles in the morning.
In the meantime I’ll scrounge around for some normal rugby news… been a bit out of the loop due to my deep levels of concentration on these other matters.
So, there you have it!
Watch this nice commercial
Before watching it some background, every year around Christmastime they dedicate one cable channel to a fireplace with a real fire
You can see the guy adding logs to it and hear the fire burning and crackling and it adds atmosphere to the room especially if you don’t have a fireplace like many houses and most apartments
The kid is waiting for Santa and he’s worried how he’ll get down the chimney (on the tv screen) to deliver presents so he phones the Shaw Cable guy to help
@ cane:
Cheers Caner and to you.
Merry Xmas to you all… stay safe and enjoy 😎
@ ryecatcher:Merry Christmas Rye…
Love to you and all your Family….
@ Te Rangatira:
17 Thank you Rangi.And the same to you and yours.
And to NZIC and Cane and all of my other Kiwi friends.
3 @ Te Rangatira:
Hi Te Rangatira it is an ‘open secret’ that I have a lot of admiration for your coaches Jokes aside has said so many times before, you guys are lucky to have so many top coaches, I think apart from the importing of top players and various support staff that one of the reasons northern Hemisphere rugby has improved (in my opinion) is due to the input of New Zealand coaches.
Your coaches can lay claim to some big success in recent time – Obviously the number one spot in the world and current Rugby Championship champions, victorious British and Irish Lions team, reigning Six Nations champions (in fact Six Nations champs for 3 years in a row, albeit different teams), and although not officially in charge did a lot of work before stepping up to Ireland national team, the reigning PRO12 champs. These are the ones that quickly spring to mind.
3 @ Te Rangatira:
New Zealand certainly in a good place coach wise as while Hansen is holding the reigns the likes of Joe Schmidt, Warren Gatland and now Vern Cotter are all ‘serving their apprenticeship’ at the highest level over here.
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