5 All Blacks join the Pacific Rugby Players Welfare union board, including double RWC winner Jerome Kaino
Dan Leo’s Pacific Rugby Players Welfare union have added a potent line-up of eleven current players to their now 49-strong board. The impressive list of new additions, which includes five All Blacks and three Fijians, have 257 Test caps between them, the list headed by double World Cup winner Jerome Kaino.
“I’m proud to be a part of the Pacific Rugby Welfare board to help make a positive change for Pacific rugby. Stronger together,” said Toulouse-based back row Kaino after he was unveiled as part of a roster that included four other All Blacks, Hurricanes duo Ardie Savea and Ngani Laumape, Montpellier’s Anthony Tuitavake and Bordeaux’s Seta Tamanivalu.
The three Fijians who have stepped up are Bath’s Josh Matavesi, Nevers’ Ilikena Bolakoro and Grenoble’s Tim Nagusa. They are joined by Tongan Nasi Manu, who has been with Treviso, and an American international pair, Washington’s Andrew Durutalo and Seattle’s Shalom Suniula.
These additions have enabled the PRPW to become the first players association in the world to have representatives in every major rugby competition. “The game is changing rapidly and so are the needs of our Pacific players,” said CEO Leo.
“It would be naive to think that today’s PI player concerns and struggles are exactly the same as those myself and other more senior board members had even four or five years ago. There will be similarities but rugby’s growth in places like America and Spain, which are the fastest-growing markets for Pacific players, on top of challenges like Covid-19 means we are having to adapt quickly.
WATCH ?| Pacific Rugby Players Welfare (PRPW) are proud to announce new Board Members for 2020, becoming the first Players Association in the world to have representatives in every major rugby competition ??
FULL STORY HERE: https://t.co/OuRWEx9tja pic.twitter.com/S5TbHJoAEt
— PacificRugbyWelfare (@pacificwelfare) June 11, 2020
“As a board, we realised many of us were either retired or coming to the end of our careers, so an injection of fresh blood, players who are in the prime of their careers and passionate to see Pacific rugby reach its potential, is important for us as an organisation staying in touch with the modern demands of the game.”
In a video message announcing the expanded board, Savea said: “I’m proud to be part of the Pacific Rugby Welfare board to help make a positive change for Pacific rugby.”
Tuitavake added: “I’m really happy and privileged to be part of the board. Together we help support each other and support the Pacific rugby communities all around the world.”
Leo, whose own relocation to Australia after finishing his playing career in England has been put on hold due to the Covid pandemic, told RugbyPass last March: “It’s important our levels of advocacy for these players match the amount of influence we have in the game.
“We need the financial system to change. Changing eligibility rules would be helpful in the short term in terms of increasing competitiveness of our national teams now, but it’s not a long-term solution.
“It needs to be the system, the way money is distributed in the sport. That needs to be turned upside down. Too much wealth in the game is distributed among the top tier nations, but these bigger nations should get a bit less of the communal pot.”
ICYMI: @danleo82 @pacificwelfare gave chapter and verse on how odds stacked against Pacific Island and @T2Rugby just weeks before the lockdown kicked in and @WorldRugby tier one nations suddenly realised what life is like without regular cashflow #StayAtHomeAndStaySafe #rugby https://t.co/Cms42ZwwOb
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 29, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
I agree ..come on keyboard warriors and journalists looking for a cheap win ….. only 2 mins to go 12 points down …this DID NOT decide the game and beside JM was hit after the whistle and in response it was a pat on the back of the head …harmless ….watch soccer if this is your issue
4 Go to commentsRest is for namby pamby sissies, I see. True men should overcome their trifling injuries by playing week in, week out. Bidwell’s stance reminds me of a Jon Gadsby character from the 70s, a rugby captain giving an after-match speech: “It was a very physical contest. One of our players caught a boot on the back of his head in a ruck, and he died, actually. But to his credit, he played on.”
1 Go to commentsI still see nothing in Sotutus play that hes changed his upright running style that failed so many times against decent international defences like the french. Other than that… Iose? Well you have covered his limitations well. If Sititi had been playing the the season… Jacobson? Grace?…Neither shout pick me. So Ardie it is.
1 Go to commentsThere isn’t one element you mentioned there that every top class or successful team gets up to. The great All blacks sides used to play on the ‘fringes or edge’ but it was essentially saying they were doing something illegal or borderline to gain dominance. The fine margins at the top are minute between the top sides. La Rochelle, the crusaders, Saracens, Toulon etc etc…..have all been accused. Get over it, the comment comes across as salty and naive. Northampton as well as they played to get back into the match were thoroughly beaten and controlled for 60 minutes and Leinster have only themselves to blame for kicking it away and hence losing control of the match and being nearly the architects of their own downfall.
2 Go to commentsThere is some talent coming thru thats for sure. The 10 looks special to me. Rico Simpson is a name to look for in the future.
1 Go to commentsI think this quiet honestly is just an innocent misunderstanding by someone who is pig sh*t stupid. Eben is a fine player but by christ, if he can’t understand or get what the Irish players were trying to say to him after the match…..well i hope he has someone looking after his finances, career and is reading the fine print for him, cause life after rugby may be quite difficult for the vacuous echo chamber.
27 Go to commentsIt could be Doris' day!
3 Go to commentsThe whole thing has blown up because Eben’s words have clearly struck a nerve in Ireland. Otherwise they would just laugh it off. I think some former Irish players, commentators and some Irish fans know deep down this Ireland team started to believe its own press and that a certain amount of arrogance had started to creep in during the World Cup. The topic was actually brought up by Irish pundits on Off the Ball recently. It’s fine to be arrogant if you can back it up. Ireland didn’t.
27 Go to comments‘The Irish are good people'. Why is Goode praising a people who hate his own? Wet wipe.
27 Go to commentsLa mejor final que se puede ver en el emisferio norte.
1 Go to commentsA lot of cope from south africans in the comments. Etzebeth is a liar and a hypocrite; you don’t have to defend him!
27 Go to commentsHe got big and really slow for a flyhalf…not sure he’s relevant in a bok conversation anymore
4 Go to commentsBest tourney team vs best team in the regular season for 3 games in RSA - talk is cheap, let’s see what’s what on the tour
27 Go to commentsOne overlooked statistic from their 2016 winning season is the Huricanes are still the only team in Super rugby history not to concede a try during the playoff rounds.
4 Go to commentsThanks for the article, Nick. The Nienaber blitz D does ask a lot of its scrumhalf. I have been watching JGP on D and he often looks like he has mastered what Nienaber asks for better than Faf de Klerk and Cobus Reinach! 🤣 Impressive season by JGP if I must make an understatement.
22 Go to commentsOkay last one. I promise. I think it’s despicable for Andy Goode to suggest that Eben can’t count to 12. To be fair he only had to count to 8 - the number of Irishmen who DIDN’T say that. Less the 3 kiwis of course. 23 - 12 - 3 = 8. See Joe. I can do maffs.
27 Go to commentsCheers, Nick! How do you see the Reds’ Jock Campbell’s play this year? Not as strong a carrier as Andrew Kellaway or Tom Wright, but does avoid errors. Do you see Joe Schmidt as wanting safety first at 15 or a try-assisting counterattacker?
91 Go to commentsI’m sure this was all just a big misunderstanding. Irishmen and Afrikaaners conversing in a noisey stadium. Not easy to get the right messages across. A minefield.
27 Go to commentsSay what you will about Andy Goode. But he is right about one thing… I’m not sure what that one thing is exactly… but I’m willing to hear him out.
27 Go to commentsAnother article to bait and trigger Irish fans. This must stop.
27 Go to comments