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'My body's never felt better': Former All Black Andy Ellis charts course for rugby's new frontier

By Tom Vinicombe
Kieran Read and Andy Ellis. (Original photo by Getty Images)

When Andy Ellis called time on his New Zealand career at the end of 2015, the wider public probably thought it was the beginning of the end for the Crusaders halfback.

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Ellis, a World Cup winner with the All Blacks in 2011, was heading off to Japan where he would represent the Kobelco Steelers – and as far as most Kiwis are concerned, if you’re not playing rugby in New Zealand, you’re not playing rugby at all.

Japan, after all, is where New Zealanders ostensibly went to finish off their careers in their twilight years and pocket some easy change while playing in a comparatively less intensive competition.

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We’re back for 2021 and Zeebs, Ryan and Christina are joined by former professional referee JP Doyle to talk through all the latest news and happenings in the world of rugby. The guys chat Christmas celebrations and crazy scenes in the Pro D2.

While that was perhaps a fair assessment 10 years ago, the situation has changed markedly. Ellis was just one of the many New Zealanders on the Kobelco Steelers’ books, alongside names such as Dan Carter, Brodie Retallick, Hayden Parker and Richard Buckman. Aaron Cruden and Ben Smith have also joined Kobe’s cause for 2021.

In 2020, almost half a decade following his departure from New Zealand, Ellis finally ended his tenure with the Steelers and seriously contemplated hanging up the boots altogether. Instead, the 36-year-old is forging on, and will tackle the newest frontier in world rugby.

On Thursday morning (NZT), Rugby United New York announced that Ellis has become the latest international player to join the Major League Rugby side’s roster for the 2021 season.

Ellis joins fellow New Zealander Kara Pryor and former England international Ben Foden on the RUNY roster, while France’s Mathieu Bastareaud also spent last season with the side.

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The 2020 Japanese Top League season was cut short after just six rounds of action due to COVID-19, with Ellis’ last match coming in the Steelers’ 57-0 thrashing of Toshiba way back in February. Speaking to RugbyPass, Ellis acknowledged that the almost year-long break from the game has helped get his body back into top condition and left him hungry for a new challenge.

“We’ve talked about these sabbaticals for the last 10 years really, guys having time off from the game, and I never really fully understood it myself,” Ellis said. “We play footy, why would we need time off?

“But after being forced to have it, I kind of get it now. I’m really excited, I want to put my boots back on and run around and compete. All these niggles I’ve been carrying, sore shoulders and elbows, they’re all gone. I’ve been able to train hard and lift proper weights and run fast again. It’s pretty cool, it’s a really nice feeling actually.

“I’ve had 12 months off, I’ve trained really hard, I’m in really good shape and my body’s never felt better. I haven’t been bashed around like I have been for the last 15 years. I don’t want to get ahead of myself but I’ve got a good spring in my step.”

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That spring, of course, is as much due to the exciting new challenge that Ellis has ahead of him: getting to pull on the jersey of a team that represents one of the greatest sporting cities in the world – but one where rugby is still finding its feet.

“I know it’s a new sort of sport there but it is gaining some traction and there’s a huge opportunity there,” Ellis said. “It’s a country where they love entertainment and they love sport so I’m really hoping that I can go over there and help grow the game in some capacity.

“Both the city and the experience for the family will be great, but also it’s a real challenge for me to see if I can really help with the New York team and add some value. I’ve been fortunate to have been in some great teams and experienced some great things so hopefully I can take some of that and we can create something special in New York. That’s what’s driving me at the moment.”

During his 11 years as a professional rugby player in New Zealand, Ellis managed to win two Super Rugby titles with the Crusaders, a handful of premierships with Canterbury, countless Tri Nations and Bledisloe Cup series with New Zealand, and also the 2011 World Cup. In his final full year in Japan, Kobe also won the Top League title. It’s fair to say that the 36-year-old has been a part of some incredible playing groups and been coached by some of the best in the business – including the likes of Scott Robertson, Robbie Deans, and Wayne Smith.

Having played under Smith’s tutelage in Kobe, Ellis was also able to spend some time around Robertsons’ Crusaders outfit during the 2020 Super Rugby Aotearoa season, and regularly keeps in contact with both coaches.

“I had a really good run around with [the Crusaders] this year,” said Ellis. “I went down to a couple of trainings a week and just spent time in the environment. A couple of the halfbacks had a few little niggles too so I was just filling in a few gaps.

“I loved it, I was able to kind of learn a bit more off Razor as well, and refresh myself on what that Crusaders environment is like, and understand the culture again.

“I’ve been really fortunate, at Kobe we had Smithy. Smithy and Razor are up there as two of the best coaches in the world at the moment and I was able to bounce ideas off them over the last 12 to 24 months which has been pretty good so hopefully some of that stuff, I can take and try and implement it in New York as well.”

As far as professional sporting franchises go, Rugby United New York is still just a sapling of a team. Major League Rugby first kicked off in 2018, with RUNY not joining until the second year of competition. They managed a semi-final finish in their inaugural season, however, before last year’s competition was called off after just five rounds.

All in all, it means there’s plenty of foundation work still to be undertaken at the club, and an experienced operator like Ellis is exactly what the team needs to help establish a winning mindset.

“I really want to help implement or set up some really strong culture over there,” said Ellis. “I’ve been so fortunate to be involved with the best – guys that have done that kind of thing before, brought a team’s culture to life and instilled a real sense of pride. All that sort of stuff, I’m excited about going over and helping to set up.

“They’ve already got some really great things set up over there too, so there’s a really cool story to be told there and I’m just hoping I can add something to it. And, undoubtedly, the other reason I’m going over is to win. That’s just kind of how I work, I’ve always been a competitor so I’ll be doing everything I can to help New York win.”

Despite ongoing issues with the coronavirus pandemic in America, Ellis is optimistic that things will take a turn for the better in the coming months and while it may not be the ideal time to travel the USA, it’s an ideal opportunity for Ellis and his family.

“Opportunities like this can pass you by and if we didn’t jump in now, who knows what might happen. I know the world’s a bit of a funny place but we’re confident enough with how things are going to make the move. It’s exciting, we’re excited – it’s New York.

“We’ve been really fortunate; this game has been so good to me. We loved our time in Kobe – what an awesome place, what awesome people, what an awesome club – and now, for us to be able to go and have another adventure and experience some amazing things all over again and meet some new people – how cool is that?”

The Major League Rugby season is set to kick off on March 20 with RUNY scheduled to play Atlanta in the opening round. Ellis and his family will be setting off for America in the coming weeks, ensuring that the former All Black has plenty of time to get to know his new teammates before taking the field come the season’s kick-off.

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Jon 1 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 4 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

15 Go to comments
A
Adrian 6 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

15 Go to comments
T
Trevor 8 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.

21 Go to comments
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