'I needed some sort of change or stimulation if I wanted to stay in New Zealand': Beauden Barrett sheds light on move to Blues
Beauden Barrett’s move from the Hurricanes to the Blues was hailed as one of the biggest coups in Super Rugby’s history but it left many Hurricanes fans feeling disgruntled that their key playmaker had ‘turned his back’ on the team.
While the Hurricanes had other exceptional talents on their books, including All Blacks TJ Perenara, Ardie Savea and Ngani Laumape, Barret was the team’s superstar and the man that the side had in some ways been built around since 2016.
At the time, Barrett explained that the decision to shift to the Blues was a holistic one, based on what was best for his young family.
“It’s a big move to sign anywhere for four years. I knew I wasn’t ready to go offshore and I know I have plenty left in the tank and plenty to give to New Zealand rugby,” he said. “We worked back from there and figured out what would be the best thing for me, my family and for my rugby.”
That explanation didn’t necessarily appease the passionate Hurricanes supporters in Wellington, however. Speaking on the latest episode of James Marshall’s What a Lad podcast, Barrett has provided some further clarity on the move – which might ease the pain of the many fans who still lament their star player’s shift north.
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Marshall, a former teammate of Barrett, revealed that the All Black brought up the potential shift when the pair had been rooming together in Johanessburg.
“I remember this move quite vividly,” he said. “I remember rooming with you in Jo’burg in South Africa when you first sort of mentioned it and told me the situation. I remember how tough it was for you.”
“It was a very difficult one,” Barrett responded.
“To leave a club where you’ve played 120 games, things like your father’s played for the club, your brother’s playing for the club, a team that you’ve looked up to and adored all your life, watching the greats play – Cully, Tana, and so on – but probably more the teammates, those bonds and connections and friendships you’ve made and you enjoy, [they’re a] big reason you play footy. That was probably the hardest thing.”
Despite the strong connections that Barrett had at the Hurricanes, the first five acknowledged that after nine years with the side, he was starting to become too accustomed to the same routine week-in and week-out.
“I was becoming a little bit bored of the same same, of the same environment,” he said. “It just got a little bit repetitive to me and I needed some sort of change or stimulation if I wanted to stay in New Zealand and play for the All Blacks and not go off-shore for good and play footy.”
A former All Black has outlined what Richie Mo'unga needs to do in order to keep Beauden Barrett out of the New Zealand No 10 jersey. #AllBlacks https://t.co/fEBViD38fJ
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) June 2, 2021
He also explained the many reasons external to rugby that were behind the move.
“It was also a personal family decision. We thought, look, we’re going to end up living Auckland at some stage, Wellington isn’t home. I’m a Naki boy. My wife and I met in 2013, she was studying [in Wellington]. So we had a good stint down there together and we felt it was time.
“I wanted to make a shift to Auckland while still playing and make that transition while playing because I wanted to challenge myself in a different environment, stimulate myself to ultimately become a better All Black and a better play for New Zealand. Because once again, I didn’t want to go overseas at that stage. And it’s obviously Hannah’s home, it was always going to be our future home, so that was a big deciding factor.
“I love living in Auckland. It’s great having Hannah’s family support around, family and friends around. It has so much to offer as well. And I get my barbecue out five nights a week instead of once a year. So there were so many different factors but it came down to, ultimately, a quality of life [decision], like am I living the best life I can? Because yes, rugby’s important, but I can still play rugby and have the best life we can have as a family in Auckland so I thought it just ticked so many boxes.
“I’m so happy that we did make the decision when we did. I don’t know if I would have been too happy down in Wellington if I’d stayed. I think it is important to stress that there is a bigger picture here. We play rugby for a very short amount of time and it was about me living my best life whilst still playing in New Zealand and also thinking of our future.”
Built into Barrett’s four-year contract with the Blues was the option to take a sabbatical – which he’s exercised over the current Super Rugby season by playing for Suntory Sungoliath in Japan.
Suntory were beaten by Robbie Deans’ Panasonic Wild Knights in the Top League final late last month and Barrett has since returned to New Zealand and it available to play for the national side in their upcoming matches with Tonga and Fiji.
Comments on RugbyPass
Don’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
35 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
35 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
35 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
35 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
35 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
35 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
35 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to comments