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Jimmy Gopperth to play on aged 40 after French move confirmed
Provence have confirmed as true last week’s speculation that a deal was struck to sign Jimmy Gopperth, allowing the Kiwi to continue to play professionally at the age of 40. It was early May when the New Zealander – the oldest player at the age of 39 to ever appear in the Gallagher Premiership – confirmed his end-of-season departure from Leicester after a one-season pit-stop.
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Now, just weeks before his next birthday, he has officially signed for Provence, the French Pro D2 side that recently finished their 2022/23 campaign in the mid-table position of eighth.
Gopperth, who started the May 14 Premiership semi-final for Leicester versus Sale in place of the injured Handre Pollard, had insisted he was keen to play on rather than retire and he has now got his wish.
A statement read: “Provence Rugby have announced the arrival for one season of Jimmy Gopperth, the New Zealand fly-half, from Leicester Tigers. Gopperth, whose characteristics correspond precisely to the staff’s desire to bring experience, leadership and professionalism to the current squad, has played nearly 500 games during his immense career.
“It’s a longevity owed to an irreproachable lifestyle, but also to great technical qualities and a 10/12 versatility. This has earned him many games at fly-half and in midfield since his arrival in the English league in 2009.
Super excited to get started, the dream continues ?? https://t.co/JfLrnrFhTJ
— jimmy gopperth (@jimmygopps) June 6, 2023
“Gopperth played 20 games last season – including the semi-final against Sale as a starter. He has played three New Zealand NPC finals, a Super Rugby final, two English Premiership finals and was voted best player of the season in 2017. Chosen to be the successor to Jonny Wilkinson at Newcastle and Johnny Sexton at Leinster, Gopperth has an experience that will be an undeniable asset for the club’s progress in the short term.
“A hard worker who has repeated over and over that he is not ready to hang up, this surf enthusiast has decided to embark on one last great challenge: to take Provence Rugby to the finals for the first time in its history.”
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The Provence coaching staff is headed by ex-Argentina prop Mauricio Reggiardo and they recently confirmed that former France scrum-half Julien Dupuy will be their backs and attack coach next season.
Comments on RugbyPass
We need a system of transfer fees. A club shouldn’t just get to sign Will Harrison when he’s been funded in NSW his entire rugby life because they have more money.
80 Go to commentsThat the pain experienced by SH clubs poached mercilessly by NH friends being now felt by the non-elite NH clubs delivers me an element of schadenfreude but if it expands the amount of poachees and opens the eyes of those new to the group then it serves a purpose. In my pessimistic (realistic?) moments I see Oz clubs in the future acting solely as feeders for France and Japan. It’s a real possibility without change
80 Go to commentswhy is this garbage rival sport that’s poaching rugby talents being promoted on a rugby website backed by world rugby again?
3 Go to comments“Ou Lem” leading that ‘98 team to a 13-3 victory was the stuff of legend! Especially since we hadn’t beaten them for many years. 10/12/13 combo of Honiball, Pieter Muller & Andre Snyman were tough as nails! I remember screaming my head off in the early hours of the morning & my brother hitting a hole through one of the bedroom doors🤭😂
1 Go to commentsWhatever about 2017 - it's seven years ago and irrelevant now. In 2021 New Zealand needed a numerical advantage for 75% of the game and what was then the largest home advantage crowd in the history of the sport in order to just _barely_ beat England.
3 Go to commentsBoth cards were harsh. Yet again highlighting rugby's inconsistencies and the absurd effect of cards
2 Go to commentsExcellent game management in the last 15 or so minutes to close it out. Aussie got a bit panicky.
2 Go to commentsWhile all this is going on… I’ve been thinking more about the NFL draft system and how to make the commercial elements of the game more sustainable for SA teams who precariously live on the fringe of these developments. SA teams play in Europe now, and are welcome, because there’s a novelty to it. SA certainly doesn’t bring the bucks (like a Japan would to SR) but they bring eyes to it. But if they don’t perform (because they don’t have the money like the big clubs) - it’s easy come easy go… I think there is an element of strategic drafting going on in SA. Where the best players (assets) are sort of distributed amongst the major teams. It’s why we’re seeing Moodie at the Bulls for example and not at his homegrown Western Province. 20-30 years ago, it was all about playing for your province of birth. That has clearly changed in the modern era. Maybe Moodie couldn’t stay in the cape because at the time the Stormers were broke? Or had too many good players to fit him in? Kistchoff’s sabbatical to Ireland and back had financial benefits. Now they can afford him again (I would guess). What I am getting at is - I think SA Rugby needs to have a very strong strategy around how teams equitably share good youth players out of the youth structures. That is SA’s strong point - a good supply of good players out of our schools and varsities. It doesn’t need to be the spectacle we see out of the states, but a system where SA teams and SA rugby decide on where to draft youth, how to fund this and how to make it that it were possible for a team like the Cheetahs (for example) to end up with a team of young stars and win! This is the investment and thinking that needs to be happening at grassroots to sustain the monster meanwhile being created at the top.
80 Go to commentsGreat win - but very poor officiating yet again. Even the Aussie commentators slammed the YC decisions.
1 Go to commentsThe game where it felt like RSA was going to lose the most was the England game in my view. Heart in throat after the Farrell drop-goal…Amazing that the boks overcame 3 times in a row…not likely to be repeated ever in my view Also the boys looked emotionally spent in the England game in the 1st half That said, why was World Rugby and Beaumont allowed to stack the pools in England’s favour? Toughest opponents on that side of the draw were Fiji, Argentina (implode central) and Auckland Girls 2nd team
54 Go to commentsOnline trolls - the only ppl who the Crusaders can beat
2 Go to commentsDefinitely some greater nous by the Walleroos and it will take a bit of time for Jo Yapp to have a lasting affect. Canada are a forward dominated physical team and only the top 3 teams can match them, though not so sure about BF’s forwards. Many of Canada’s forwards earn their living in the English PWR, the breeding ground for the Red Roses amazing strength in depth. The next PAC4 matches will be interesting.
1 Go to commentsIs the Club World Cup and the World League, in combination, going to make or break world Rugby? I personally think it’s too much. Established tournaments and competitions’s significance is going to be drowned out by “the new shiney Mall built just down the street”.
80 Go to commentsLoved Carr‘s post match interview. “No, I don’t think so Jean. But thank you.” Good kid. Louw a certain feature for the Boks this year.
1 Go to comments“Where is the challenge to Leinster, Toulouse and La Rochelle likely to come from in future?” Racing 92 ? This has not been a good season for them this year, but they have a very strong squad……players like Woki, Nyakane, Kolisi, Le Roux, Lauret(these two older now), Le Garrec, Fickou, Tuisova, Arundell. With the addition next year of Owen Farrell, that is some firepower to mount a serious challenge ? And with Stuart Lancaster having a year under his belt, things should go better. Northampton will be a year wiser, more streetwise too. And I would expect one or two of the South African sides to mount a more serious challenge, but that would depend on keeping more players at home
80 Go to commentsWow, have to go but can’t leave without saying these thoughts. And carlos might jump in here, but going through the repercussions I had the thought that sole nation representatives would see this tournament as a huge boon. The prestige alone by provide a huge incentive for nations like Argentina to place a fully international club side into one of these tournaments (namely Super Rugby). I don’t know about the money side but if a team like the Jaguares was on the fence about returning I could see this entry as deciding the deal (at least for make up of that side with its eligibility criteria etc). Same goes for Fiji, and the Drua, if there can be found money to invest in bringing more internationals into the side. It’s great work from those involved in European rugby to sacrifice their finals, or more accurately, to open there finals upto 8 other world teams. It creates a great niche and can be used by other parties to add further improvements to the game. Huge change from the way things in the past have stalled. I did not even know that about the French game. Can we not then, for all the posters out there that don’t want to follow NZ and make the game more aerobic, now make a clear decision around with more injuries occur the more tired an athlete is? If France doesn’t have less injuries, then that puts paid to that complaint, and we just need to find out if it is actually more dangerous having ‘bigger’ athletes or not. How long have they had this rule?
80 Go to commentsHaha he does the exact opposite of what you’d expect any receiver to do, Brilliant!
3 Go to commentswell the favourites dont always win and let scott robertson chose his number 8
4 Go to commentsthats great for cam miller and the highlanders the crusaders have got problems within there systems that were proberly covered up astheywere winning when scott robertson was in charge
2 Go to commentsThe last time Plumtree coached the sharks they sucked the same when with the hurricanes now back with the shark Springboro. They still have no game plan
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