'Maybe I can take Suntory one better': Richie Mo'unga reveals post-World Cup plans
All Blacks star Richie Mo’unga has revealed his plans to leave New Zealand for Japan after next year’s World Cup in France.
Mo’unga last week announced that he has signed a one-year contract extension with New Zealand Rugby [NZR] that will keep him on Kiwi shores until the end of 2023.
He is not contracted beyond then, though, and the 28-year-old first-five has since made it clear that he harbours a desire to take his talents abroad for as long as two years following on from the World Cup.
“That’s definitely what I’m thinking,” Mo’unga told the New Zealand Herald ahead of this week’s Super Rugby Pacific quarter-final clash between the Crusaders and Reds in Christchurch.
“Another reason for the one-year sign on with NZ Rugby was allowing myself to have a look at opportunities overseas and seeing what somewhere like Japan has to offer and keeping my options open, whether that’s one or two seasons over there, and possibly coming back to New Zealand and hopefully play for the Crusaders and All Blacks.
“I want to experience another culture with my family. Taking my wife and kids to Japan would be awesome to experience something different and another style of rugby.
“I’ve been at the Crusaders and Canterbury since I started my professional career so I’m looking to experience something different.”
Mo’unga further clarified that he and his family are “looking more likely for two years” in Japan rather than a one-year spell.
As such, a potential return to New Zealand wouldn’t be on the cards until midway through 2025 at the earliest, by which point the 32-test international will be 31-years-old.
Just how significantly his age at that point in time will impact his chances of playing for the All Blacks again remains to be seen, but a post-World Cup departure to Japan would leave New Zealand severely short-changed of first-five options.
Joining Mo’unga as the only other outright first-five for the All Blacks is incumbent playmaker Beauden Barrett, who is expected to call time on his test career and leave New Zealand for good after next year’s World Cup.
Without Barrett or Mo’unga on deck, the All Blacks face the prospect of entering 2024 without their two most senior first-fives.
Utility back Damian McKenzie looms as a potential suitor to step up in the absence of Barrett and Mo’unga at first-five, but he is still yet to re-sign with NZR since coming off-contract at the end of last year.
The 27-year-old has instead been playing for Suntory Sungoliath in Japan, guiding the side to a runner-up finish in League One last weekend.
McKenzie’s decision to join Suntory came a year after Barrett linked up with the Tokyo-based club on a lucrative six-month sabbatical deal last year, but also failed to win silverware.
Both players succumbed to the Panasonic Wild Knights in their respective finals, prompting Mo’unga to suggest that he could be the one to lead Suntory to the Japanese club title.
“You look at someone like D-Mac [McKenzie] who has been able to go over there and be a huge influence,” Mo’unga told the New Zealand Herald.
“It’s quite funny Baz [Barrett] was there the year before and they lost in the final. D-Mac lost in the final, too, so maybe I can take Suntory one better.”
Aside from McKenzie, and one-test Chiefs first-five Josh Ioane, the All Blacks would have only currently uncapped players to pick from as successors to Barrett and Mo’unga.
Blues star Stephen Perofeta leads that pack after impressing for the Blues this season, while Hurricanes youngsters Aidan Morgan and Ruben Love, as well as Fergus Burke – Mo’unga’s backup at the Crusaders – are all regarded as highly-touted prospects.
Much needs to be seen out of those latter three players before they can be considered for All Blacks selection, though, meaning New Zealand’s aspiring first-fives will have plenty to play for over the coming years.
For the time being, Mo’unga has his sights set on winning a sixth Super Rugby title in as many years with the Crusaders before attempting to go a few places better at next year’s World Cup after New Zealand’s 2019 World Cup semi-final exit.
“The World Cup is definitely a huge motivator for me wanting to have another crack and right some wrongs from the last one, take all those lessons on board and have my name in those conversations and get a job done there.”
Comments on RugbyPass
An on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
10 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
24 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
24 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
24 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick 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.
24 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?
10 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.
10 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 comments