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Ex-Maori ABs star to play for Japan at Olympics following eligibility saga

By Alex McLeod
(Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

Former Maori All Blacks star Colin Bourke says he is “excited” to represent Japan at the Tokyo Olympics next week.

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The 36-year-old has been named in Japan’s 12-man squad to compete in the men’s sevens tournament at Tokyo Stadium between Monday and Wednesday.

Bourke’s selection in Chihito Matsui’s squad comes nine years after he moved to Japan to take up a contract with the Ricoh Black Rams in the Top League.

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The ex-Highlanders, Chiefs and Bay of Plenty No 8, who began his career as a utility back for Hawke’s Bay, will be tasked with helping guide Japan to a podium finish after they came in fourth place at Rio 2016.

Speaking to NZME, Bourke said he is “so proud” to be representing his adopted nation after first joining the squad in a training capacity three years ago.

“Towards the end of the 2018 season I was approached by the coach of the national 7s team and asked if I would be interested in playing at the 2020 Olympics, which of course at that time was a little over a year and a half away,” he told Hawke’s Bay Today.

“I accepted and began training with the team at the end of 2018 and all the way up until March 2020 when the games were postponed because of COVID-19.

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“The squad had a break and I went back to my 15-a-side team to train until we knew what the plan going forward was.

“I re-joined the team again around August 2020 and now here we are. Named in the final 12 members and on my way to the Olympic village as we speak, something I would have never thought in my wildest dreams would happen.”

Bourke’s selection in Japan’s Olympic squad hasn’t come without frustration, though.

After gaining Japanese citizenship in 2018, the veteran loose forward was at the centre of an eligibility saga that came to the fore last year.

Despite being Japanese citizens, Bourke, ex-All Blacks lock Isaac Ross and former Australian sevens representative Brackin Karauria-Henry, were all deemed ineligible to compete as Japanese players in the Top League due to their previous experience in international rugby.

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As a result, all three struggled to attract the interest of Japanese clubs as counted against the foreign quota of two internationally-capped players, three foreign-born players who are eligible to play for Japan and one Asian passport holder.

Bourke, Ross and Karauria-Henry expressed concerns over the rule to RugbyPass last September, with Bourke saying he was “pissed off” that he was considered Japanese enough to play sevens for the country but not to be viewed as a local player in the Top League.

“I’m a bit pissed off the same group of people, they want me to play for them at the Olympics, and they want to pay me money to do so, but they won’t let me play for my club team as a Japanese player, which is where we earn our money,” Bourke told RugbyPass.

“We don’t get paid to play for Japan. It actually costs us a lot of money with transport and all that sort of s***. It’s a bit of a double standard. We’re trying to get their heads around how we see it as well, which is proving difficult.”

The Japanese Rugby Football Union opted against changing the rule last year, but Bourke has remained at the Black Rams, who have rebranded to Black Rams Tokyo as part of the revamped Japan Rugby League One competition.

Now at the Olympics, alongside Karauria-Henry, Bourke is “excited” to take to the field over the coming days.

I’m so proud to be a part of this huge sporting event and represent Japan,” he told Hawke’s Bay Today.

“My road hasn’t been the normal road travelled for an Olympic athlete but that’s what makes it so much more pleasing to have made it here.

“It’s been a hard two to three years, especially through this pandemic, but [I’m] stoked to finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.”

Japan have been grouped in Pool B alongside Great Britain, Canada and reigning Olympic champions Fiji, who they will begin their campaign against at 9am on Monday local time.

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Trevor 1 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

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Bull Shark 5 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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