Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
NZ NZ

Aaron Cruden to make surprise Super Rugby return in 2020?

By Tom Vinicombe
Aaron Cruden shows off his short-kicking game for the Chiefs against the Crusaders in Fiji in 2017. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

The ongoing battle for first fives looks set to continue in New Zealand, with Aaron Cruden now reported to be close to signing a deal with the Chiefs.

ADVERTISEMENT

Stuff has reported that Cruden and the Chiefs are into the late stages of sussing out a contract which would see the former All Blacks return for the 2020 season.

It’s long been expected that Cruden will shift from the south of France to Japan in the coming year, after a number of injury-riddled seasons for Montpellier.

Supposedly, Cruden’s future contract with Kobe won’t commence until the 2021 Top League season – but his current deal with Montpellier will come to a conclusion at the end of the World Cup. That gives Cruden plenty of time to link up with his old Super Rugby franchise.

2020 is shaping up as an eventful season for the New Zealand Super sides.

Beauden Barrett will shift from the Hurricanes to the Blues but won’t be available until the end of the 2020 Top League season, which finishes on May 9. That means one of Harry Plummer, Otere Black or Stephen Perofeta will be handed the 10 jersey until at least the latter stages of the tournament.

Barrett’s move north means the Hurricanes are lacking an experienced option at first five – though both Jackson Gardon-Bachop and Fletcher Smith are still on the books. The Wellington-based team have been scouring the globe for a replacement for Barrett and it’s believed that Cruden, who made his Super Rugby debut for the Hurricanes, was high on their list of targets.

ADVERTISEMENT

It’s understood that Cruden would only be interested in making a return if it was for the Chiefs, however, who helped him cement his spot in the All Blacks.

The Chiefs currently have just Damian McKenzie signed on for next season with their other three first five options, Marty McKenzie, Jack Debreczeni and Tiaan Falcon, all off-contract. McKenzie, who spent most of the season on the sidelines thanks to an ACL injury, has spoken of his preference to play at fullback, however.

Warren Gatland, who will take over as head coach of the Chiefs from next year, will be on the lookout for a young first five who can spearhead the Waikato side’s attack for the coming years – but a seasoned pro will also be required. Cruden would fit the bill for that latter category and could help ease an up-and-comer into Super Rugby.

Rivez Reihana has shown plenty of promise for Waikato in this year’s Mitre 10 Cup but has been used exclusively at fullback. Other options include re-contracting Falcon – who is just 22 – or trying to lure one of the Blues’ trio south.

ADVERTISEMENT

Elsewhere around the country, Mitch Hunt will head to the Highlanders in search of more game time. He’s stuck behind Richie Mo’unga at the Crusaders and Brett Cameron is likely the next in line to the throne.

Hunt will compete with Josh Ioane for the starting role at the Highlanders but could find himself shifted to the back to cover for Ben Smith, who is heading to France next year.

Video Spacer
ADVERTISEMENT

Join free

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | Episode 6

Sam Warburton | The Big Jim Show | Full Episode

Japan Rugby League One | Sungoliath v Eagles | Full Match Replay

Japan Rugby League One | Spears v Wild Knights | Full Match Replay

Boks Office | Episode 10 | Six Nations Final Round Review

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | How can New Zealand rugby beat this Ireland team

Beyond 80 | Episode 5

Rugby Europe Men's Championship Final | Georgia v Portugal | Full Match Replay

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

J
Jon 6 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

35 Go to comments
j
john 9 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

36 Go to comments
A
Adrian 11 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

36 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING Louis Rees-Zammit signs for Roc Nation ahead of his Kansas visit Louis Rees-Zammit signs for Roc Nation ahead of his Kansas visit
Search