Clash of the codes: a new future for young rugby stars
On Friday NZ Rugby and the New Zealand Warriors came to a surprisingly amicable agreement on the release of Etene Nanai-Seturo from league. The consequences for young players are far-reaching, writes James McOnie.
Watch some highlights of Etene Nanai-Seturo and it’s clear — he’s a slippery customer. Turns out he’s a slippery employee as well.
Like a flailing defender, the New Zealand Warriors couldn’t hang on to him, and on Friday Nanai-Seturo was set free — free to pursue a career in rugby.
The resolution was made via mediation between the Warriors and NZ Rugby.
But the shockwaves of that decision will be felt far and wide across rugby and rugby league. For Under-18 stars who’ve been convinced to sign a contract by a smooth-talking scout or agent, it shows there’s a way out. It’s not quite a precedent (it never went to court) — but it will act as a guide and an example for young players and their parents.
Contracts signed by a minor aren’t binding in New Zealand and that was NZ Rugby’s argument as they grabbed Nanai-Seturo from the Warriors and threw him straight into the All Blacks Sevens team in January.
With that selection, the soap opera began. Warriors CEO Cameron George labeled NZ Rugby “disrespectful” and vowed to fight them. “We are not going to get pushed around by anyone, especially in this kind of situation.”
He was fired up. NZ Rugby’s Neil Sorensen responded: “We are definitely not walking all over anybody.”
All the while Nanai-Seturo (a star fullback for Auckland’s St Kentigern College First XV as recently as last year) went on to play his second Sevens World Series tournament for New Zealand, in Hamilton.
Then the warring parties went into mediation. At this stage I like to imagine a trained counsellor in a cardigan and sandals letting each person speak freely by using “I” language. “I feel… disrespected… [reaches for tissues] when you… take one of our players without asking nicely.” That kind of thing.
At 4.30pm on Friday afternoon a press release from NZ Rugby was emailed out, saying Nanai-Seturo had left the Warriors. Oh dear. Surely George would be fuming. Here’s what the release said:
Warriors CEO Cameron George welcomed the agreement and said he was looking forward to continuing to have a productive relationship with New Zealand Rugby. “We need to work together when faced with these situations and it is not in either of our interests for these matters to be aired in public,” he said. “The Vodafone Warriors wish Etene well with his career.”
Ummm OK. This doesn’t help the soap opera script at all but the mediator will be so proud of the progress Cameron has made.
While the terms of the agreement are confidential, it’s understood the NRL club was paid a fee to ensure the code switch. Nanai-Seturo, 18, will hope to make the Commonwealth Games sevens team and play Super Rugby with the Chiefs.
The Nanai-Seturo case will be quoted for years to come and it could open the floodgates for teenagers to switch codes either way. Some at NZ Rugby wanted to go to court, to test the law and set a precedent.
So what will change?
Well, you will still find agents and scouts from both codes at school rugby and league fields every Saturday. They will still do their best Jerry Maguire impression, charming the pants off the parents and convincing them that their club/agency will look after their boy. And some scouts will still aggressively target families that could really use money.
While these scouts pat themselves on the back for discovering a player, what needs to be said is everyone watching the game can see the player’s potential as well. It’s obvious. The coaches know, the other parents know, the school kids know. These athletes are supremely talented — they’re on the conveyor belt to stardom — so when a scout decides to throw some money at them, they’re merely formalising what everyone else sees.
The issue is the age that players are being signed. Some at just 14 or 15 years old. Nanai-Seturo was 15.
It’s said that NRL scouts like to get in early. When the Crusaders approached towering forward Nelson Asofa-Solomona when he was in the Wellington College first XV, he had already been contracted to the Melbourne Storm for two years. And it’s worked out for him.
Some switches happen without too much drama. Ngani Laumape was snapped up by the Warriors as a youngster but returned to rugby union. Nehe Milner-Skudder was with the Sydney Bulldogs under-20s in 2009/10 but came back to star in the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
Now, the Nanai-Seturo saga serves as a warning and a template to any parents of young footy stars. Their child’s ambitions at 15 and at 18 may vary. And the law is there to protect them.
So if an agent dazzles you with the promise of riches, just remember that’s what they always do. These people are experienced deal-makers and their spiel is well-rehearsed.
Your next move should be to get independent legal advice. Someone in your family might have a contact. The NZ Law Society and Auckland District Law Society websites will help you find a lawyer — on the latter you can search under ‘sports lawyer’ and it reveals 124 in Auckland alone, and 100 outside of Auckland.
If you can’t afford legal advice, contact the school principal. More often than not, your child has been approached while representing that school. It’s the school’s problem too. Or contact your nearest Citizen’s Advice Bureau — they offer free legal advice.
I’m sorry this column has ended up as instructional. But if you’re a child star or the parents of one, you know what to do: Lawyer up!
Comments on RugbyPass
Pick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
15 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
4 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
4 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt 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.
26 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 🤐
15 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….
26 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….
15 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….
84 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!
4 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
15 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
14 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.
15 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.
15 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
15 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 comments