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Waikato assistant coach Roger Randle has made an impassioned plea for Super Rugby sides to take a second look at explosive winger Sevu Reece.
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The 21-year-old Fijian has hit a rich vein of form in the 2018 Mitre Cup, and leads the competition with five tries.
Reece has played a key role in turning the season around for the embattled province, helping them win three consecutive matches over an impressive eight-day span to send the side to the top of the Championship standings. The winger scored a hat-trick against Wellington on Wednesday, set a try up against Taranaki on Sunday and was responsible for two more against Hawke’s Bay on Thursday.
Following Waikato’s triumphant Ranfurly Shield defence against Hawke’s Bay on Thursday night, Randle reignited calls for Reece’s inclusion at the next level.
“Guys like Sevu Reece have been outstanding and I think everybody should be looking at him in Super [Rugby],” Randle said. “I don’t care what excuse people have got at Super-land.”
Randle certainly has the pedigree to make such claims. The former All Black scored 50 tries in 59 games for the province and is the second highest try-scorer in Chiefs history with 38.
The only issue with Randle’s assessment of Reece is that the young winger’s immediate rugby future has already been decided.
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Reece is currently playing what could be his final season for Waikato, as he is committed to Irish PRO14 club Connacht for the 2018/19 season.
However, we have seen a contractual backflip before. Look at the likes of Reece’s compatriot Waisake Naholo, or former Waikato teammate Whetu Douglas.
Naholo impressed during the 2015 Super Rugby season with the Highlanders and found himself in the All Black frame before eventually chosing to forgo a two-year deal with French club Clermont to stay in Dunedin.
While Reece’s situation is a little different to Naholo’s as the latter had established himself in Super Rugby, he has still showcased game-breaking potential and performed against high-level opposition. Randle believes the next level is where the young flyer belongs.
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“I’ve been fortunate enough to play on the wing and he’s [Reece] Super Rugby level. I think Super Rugby coaches need to reflect that with their selections for him and find room for him because he should be on a Super Rugby team,” Randle said.
If a New Zealand-based Super Rugby franchise doesn’t sway Reece – a former New Zealand Schools representative – he could follow a similar path to future Connacht teammate Bundee Aki.
Auckland-born Aki left New Zealand for Ireland in 2014 and after three years became eligible for the national side following three years of residency. The 28-year-old was named PRO12 Player of the Year for the 2015/16 season and is now a linchpin of the Irish midfield and owner of nine Test caps.
Reece, still classed as an international player by Super Rugby standards – of which New Zealand Super Rugby sides can only have two of – would become eligible for Ireland well ahead of the 2023 Rugby World Cup, where he could find himself coming up against the likes of New Zealand and Fiji.
In other news:
Comments on RugbyPass
“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
3 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
2 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
3 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
3 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
3 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
2 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
4 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
3 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
3 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to comments