Ali Williams: Breaking down the pulling power of the black jersey
Former All Blacks test lock Ali Williams dives into the great debate surrounding the decision to re-sign with New Zealand Rugby and the pulling power of the black jersey.
The power of the black jersey and its influence on the decision to re-sign with New Zealand Rugby is an area of huge debate.
Just how you make the decision obviously changes and has cycles depending on where New Zealand Rugby is in terms of the coaches and form and the like.
At the end of the day I’d put it down quite simply and ask, do you want to be the best in the world? Do you want to be the best rugby player that you can ever be? If that’s the case then you stay in the country and you strive to be a great All Black.
If competing for a spot in the national side is not your be-all and end-all then the possibilities of going offshore are a lot more attractive.
When I re-signed – I re-signed several times – but I remember in 2007 we probably had a crux of guys leaving after the World Cup. I was 26 or 27, and was reaching the point where I could potentially get a decent eight-year stint overseas, or I could delay it for another four or five years, go to another World Cup and then move on, or hang the boots up.
After we’d lost at the 2007 World Cup, a whole group of us came to a decision. It was always going to help if a group of us had collectively said hold on, we’re going to stay in this together. I was fortunate enough to do that with people like Keven Mealamu, Tony Woodcock – Tony and I did our contracts simultaneously – Dan Carter and Richie McCaw.
We all collectively said why don’t we stick in this and try one more time to win it in 2011. We knew the coaches we re-signing so having continuity there helped as well.
That’s why I like the look of TJ Perenara and Beauden Barrett, they constantly talk about doing things together and forming combinations. I understand that you’re an individual player when it comes to a contract, but you’re still a collective unit when it comes to being on the team so knowing that you’ve got time to work on a relationship is good.
As for the draw of staying in New Zealand? As I said previously, I think it comes down to whether you want to be the best in the world. If you want to be the greatest, then you stay here. The other factors you weight up are things like lifestyle and money. In all fairness, your money level does depend on your ranking in that All Blacks squad or within NZR. If you’re at the top then the money – at our time – wasn’t considerably different, but for the bottom or middle tier All Blacks there is a potential financial upside if they move overseas.
I think more of the willingness to move overseas is around the guarantee of that income. With the All Blacks, you’re not guaranteed selection, which is the beauty of the team but also the risk and the hard part. They can’t please everyone.
If you’re the second-string 10, you’re sitting there thinking how long do I bide my time, how long do I stick it out when there’s money on the table overseas and a lifestyle and kids to think about. When you’re overseas, you’re away from the family for a maximum of about 48 hours, two nights. It makes a huge difference considering with Super Rugby you can be away for three and a half weeks. With the All Blacks you can be away for a lot longer. All of those factors come into the decision.
NZR are looking at different ways of handling those external factors. How can they facilitate options outside of rugby, in terms of players’ partners, kids, life after. And that’s the element that I believe NZR should be focused on. They can’t just rely on the pull of the jersey as
professional sport is a career path that people choose at a young age and hence have to capitalise on it as it’s only a period of your life not like other careers that consume longer periods of life. The more they look outside the square the better their player retention will be.
Making the transition after a career in sport isn’t easy, so if you can set players up into something during rugby for when post-rugby comes I think it’s going to help that transition. If you look at rugby as a stage and chapter of your life then that’s more important than an extra 100,000 pounds for one or two years overseas.
In saying that, I loved my time overseas. It opens your mind to something completely different. A different lifestyle, a different mentality. We are very dominant here in terms of how we do things in New Zealand, but overseas you learn that there’s a few different ways to skin a cat.
I really enjoyed being somewhere new, it changed me as a person so make that decision based on what type of rugby player you want to be or what stage you’re at in your career.
I probably did it two years too late, but in hindsight I could also say I did it perfectly, so I do challenge those people that have the option.
When I decided it was my time to head overseas, I sat down with John Kirwan and said look mate, I can’t keep up anymore. The rugby’s too fast and to be honest, the reason I left the All Blacks was because I knew I couldn’t be great anymore. I knew that I couldn’t do the training to do what I needed to do. So once that decision was made it was purely about how long do I want to play rugby for and then I got an opportunity to play in France where the training’s different and the speed of the game’s different.
In terms of short-term sabbaticals, you’ve got to understand what it’s about. For me, if it’s about money, then it’s not a sabbatical. It’s an experience. What that needs to be is a collective arrangement with NZR saying you can go, these are the boundaries if you still want to be contracted to us. If you want a sabbatical in terms of a rest, I’m in complete support of that but I think we’re diluting two things.
Take the recently departed Lima Sopoaga for example. If we said to him you can go for two years, you’re not under contract with us but we still want to have a relationship with you at the All Blacks then there’s open dialogue there.
NZR would be saying go and make your money, go and do your thing. We’re still here and the book’s open and this is what we expect from you but you’ve got to be proactive and if you intend to come back in two years, great. I would also say that there needs to be a commitment from the player that they will come back or at least have a genuine commitment to come back.
If it’s the other way around where it’s no, I just need more money, well go and do your own thing. I think that the door needs to be open earlier in a rugby player’s career where they can go overseas for two years and then come back. But at 28, to go overseas and then think that you can come back, that’s a challenge you need to be willing to accept.
Rugby World Cup City Guide – Kumamoto:
Comments on RugbyPass
It couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
25 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
25 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
77 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
1 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
44 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to comments