'No one wanted me': Surprise reason why Otere Black is leaving NZ
Despite only starting to enter his peak years of professional rugby, Otere Black has called time on his career in New Zealand and is set to head to Japan following the NPC.
The 26-year-old has been in sparkling form for the Blues throughout the season, guiding the side to their first title in almost two decades.
Despite all that, however, Black has made the decision to leave NZ and take up a lucrative deal with the NTT Shining Arcs – partially because the Maori All Blacks pivot wasn’t confident he’d be able to notch up regular minutes for a Super Rugby side in next year’s competition.
“It was one of those things, it was really a timing thing for me,” Black told James Marshall on the former Hurricanes utility’s weekly podcast, What a Lad.
“Obviously at the Blues, they’ve got Beaudy [Barrett] coming back, they’ve got Harry [Plummer] there, they’ve got Stevie [Perofeta] there. I would have loved to stay but in terms of playing-wise, I think it would have been a little bit harder to get consistent minutes like I’ve had over the last two seasons so I sort of weighed that up and I was like, ‘Well, if I’m staying in New Zealand, I probably won’t be at the Blues, realistically’.
“I tested a few waters in New Zealand but no one wanted me so I was like ‘Well, must be a sign for me to go’. So that was it.”
Marshall was surprised that the Kiwi teams weren’t lining up to sign Black, given his experience and proven talent.
“Everyone’s pretty much full,” Black explained. “I sort of asked around and asked my agent was there really any spots in New Zealand because I feel like maybe I’ve got a little bit more to offer before going overseas but everyone’s pretty much full up … And I’ve got a young family now to look after. That sort of made the decision a little bit easier.
“Obviously, there was a club in Japan that was quite keen and there was another club as well over in France at the time and also there was another couple of clubs in Japan. Finally made my decision, probably at the start of the Trans-Tasman competition, so it was quite late, just because there was a few things going around.”
The Chiefs have Bryn Gatland and Kaleb Trask on their books for next year while Rivez Reihana is also expected to return to the franchise and Damian McKenzie is ostensibly considering a one-season stint offshore.
The #AllBlacks are always inundated with options, but they typically tend to know the bulk of their likely best XV at any given time. To not know it carries an element of danger. #NZLvFIJ
?? Gregor Paulhttps://t.co/oBYTS3EPdH
— The XV Rugby (@TheXV) July 6, 2021
Black’s former side, the Hurricanes, have just Aidan Morgan and Ruben Love signed for next season at present – with Love an outside back first and foremost and Morgan uncapped at Super Rugby level.
Further south, Richie Mo’unga remains first-choice at the Crusaders and will likely be backed up by Fergus Burke – although Brett Cameron is off-contract, while the Highlanders will rely on the talents of Josh Ioane and Mitch Hunt.
From the outside looking in, any of those four teams would likely benefit from Black’s inclusion – especially given how close the 26-year-old must be to the All Blacks frame, which host Marshall touched upon.
“It’s interesting to feel like you might have a little bit more to offer,” he said. “I mean, you’re still really young, you’re playing some of the best footy you ever have played, you must have been in the frame for the recent All Blacks squad. I don’t know if you got any feedback from anyone there or anything?”
While Black acknowledged he’d reached career-best form, that was partially down to the fact that he’d taken any pressure off his shoulders throughout the Blues’ Trans-Tasman title-winning run, having already signed for the Shining Arcs at the beginning of the campaign.
“Probably the last six or so weeks I’ve probably been playing my best footy and I’m starting to feel a lot more confident in my own game and sort of running a team, I guess as a 10,” he said. “But by then, I’d already made my decision to leave so I think that was probably something that had a bit of weight off my shoulders.
“I didn’t have any pressure, I didn’t have anything to worry about in the future. I knew I was going to try and make the most of the next couple of weeks and try and win a title with the boys while I’m here. That probably played a little bit into it. I guess, in a way, it was probably a good thing – me going. Because it made me just relax a little bit more and play some footy.
“And in terms of the higher honours, I had no conversations with any of that stuff. Nothing.”
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Unless players have already forced their way into the All Blacks set-up, they typically get little feedback from the coaches and selectors – something which players have expressed frustrations with in the past.
It’s something that Marshall also takes umbrage with at present.
“I find that’s one area New Zealand Rugby could do a lot better, is give people a little bit more comms into where they sit because I feel like you start losing guys like you,” the 2016 Super Rugby title-winner said.
“[It] probably could have just taken a conversation to say where you are in the pecking order to maybe give you a little more confidence to stay but I mean, that’s the way they’re doing things at the moment. We’re just going to end up losing more quality players than we probably should.”
Black is set to head to Japan once the NPC comes to a close later in the year. The 26-year-old will miss the opening rounds of the competition after having minor surgery earlier this week.
Comments on RugbyPass
Really hope Kuruvoli and his partner rock the Canes.
1 Go to commentsI wonder what impact Samson has had on their attack, as the team seems less prone to trundle it up the middle, take the tackle and then trundle it up again. I lost faith in the coach last year as the Rebelss looked like a 2nd/3rd rate South African team. I also disliked Gordon standing back, often ignored as the forward battle went on and on. Maybe its our Aussie way of not getting off our A***’s until the enemy is at the gate.
83 Go to commentsThanks for the write up. Great to see the Rebs winning, I am a little interested in how they will go against the remaining kiwi teams, I think they’ve only played Hurricanes and Highlanders but how great to see these players performing!! I also see Parling has a job beyond June 30! A good move by RA? Also how do you fix the Rebels previously scratchy defence?
83 Go to commentsbe smart - go black
13 Go to commentsNext week the Crusaders hopefully have Scott Barrett back. Will be great to have the captain back. Hopefully he will be the All Black captain as well.
12 Go to commentsExciting place to be for the young fella. I expected he was French Polynesian when I saw him included in the France 6N squad (after seeing him in NZs), and therefor be strong grounds we might loose him to rugby down here. Good, in that he is good enough to warrant such a profile, and from a journalism’s fan interaction aspect, to finally get a back ground story on the fella. Hope he has settled into NZ OK and that at least one rugby country will fit with him to help his development, which, if so, he should surely continue for a few years, and then that he can experience France to it’s fullest with a bit more maturity and less reliance on family than you would have at his current age. A good 3 or 4 years before he would be ready for International duty if he wanted to wait. Of course he already sounds good enough to accept a call up, and to cap himself, in the more immediate future (he’d have to be very very good in the case of the ABs), and he’ll get a great taste of that being with the Canes who have a bunch who are just a few years further into their career and looking likely Internationals themselves.
13 Go to commentsI remember towards the end of the original broadcasting deal for Super rugby with Newscorp that there was talk about the competition expanding to improve negotiations for more money - more content, more cash. Professional rugby was still in its infancy then and I held an opposing view that if Super rugby was a truly valuable competition then it should attract more broadcasters to bid for the rights, thereby increasing the value without needing to add more teams and games. Unfortunately since the game turned professional, the tension between club, talent and country has only grown further. I would argue we’re already at a point in time where the present is the future. The only international competitions that matter are 6N, RC and RWC. The inter-hemisphere tours are only developmental for those competitions. The games that increasingly matter more to fans, sponsors and broadcasters are between the clubs. Particularly for European fans, there are multiple competitions to follow your teams fortunes every week. SA is not Europe but competes in a single continental competition, so the travel component will always be an impediment. It was worse in the bloated days of Super rugby when teams traversed between four continents - Africa, America, Asia and Australia. The percentage of players who represent their country is less than 5% of the professional player base, so the sense of sacrifice isn’t as strong a motivation for the rest who are more focused on playing professional rugby and earning as much from their body as they can. Rugby like cricket created the conundrum it’s constantly fighting a losing battle with.
4 Go to commentsOh wow… “But as La Rochelle proved in winning in Cape Town this season, a cross-continental away assignment need not spell the end of days.” La Rochelle actually proved quite the opposite. After traveling to Cape town and back they (back-to-back and current champs) got mercilessly thumped the next week. If travel is not the reason, why else would a full-strength powerhouse like La Rochelle get dumped on their @r$e$ one week later?
26 Go to commentsYou know he can land a winning conversion after the full time siren is up. (Even if it takes two attempts.)
5 Go to commentsA very insightful article from Jake. I would love to know how South African’s feel about their move to Europe. Do you prefer playing in Europe or want to go back to Super Rugby?
4 Go to commentspure fire
1 Go to commentsA very well thought out summary of all the relevant complications…agree with your ”refer the Cricket Test versus 20/20 comparison”. More also definitely doesn't necessarily mean better!
4 Go to commentsMust be something when you are only 19 y.o and both NZ and France want you. Btw he wasn’t the only new caledonian in french U20 as Robin Couly also lived in Noumea until 17. Hope he’s successful wherever he chooses to play.
13 Go to comments“Several key players in the Stade Rochelais squad are in their thirties” South Africans are going to hate the implications of that comment!
5 Go to commentsI know Leinster did a job on La Roche but shortly after HT Leinster were 30-13 ahead of them and at a similar time Toulouse were trailing Exeter. At 60 mins Leinster were 27 ahead but after 67 mins Toulouse were only 19 ahead before Exeter collapsed. That’s heavier scoring by Leinster against the Champions. I think people are looking at Toulouses total a little too much. I also think Northhampton are in with a real chance, albeit I’d put Leinster as favourites. If Leinster make the final I expect them to win by more than ten and with control.
5 Go to commentsHey Nick, your match analysis is decent but the top and tail not so much, a bit more random. For a start there’s a seismic difference in regenerating any club side over a test team. EJ pretty much had to urinate with the appendage he’d been given at test level whereas club success is impacted hugely by the budget. Look no further than Boudjellal’s Toulon project for a perfect example. The set ups at La Rochelle and Leinster are like chalk and cheese and you are correct that Leinster are ahead. Leinster are not just slightly ahead though, they are light years ahead on their plans, with the next gen champions cup team already blooded, seasoned and developing at speed from their time manning the fort in the URC while the cream play CC and tests. They have engineered a strong talent conveyor belt into their system, supported by private money funnelled into a couple of Leinster private schools. The really smart move from Leinster and the IRFU however is maximising the Irish Revenue tax breaks (tax relief on the best 10 years earnings refunded at retirement) to help keep all of their stars in Ireland and happy, while simultaneously funding marquee players consistently. And of course Barrett is the latest example. But in no way is he a “replacement for Henshaw”, he’s only there for one season!!! As for Rob Baxter, the best advice you can give him is to start lobbying Parliament and HMRC for a similar state subsidy, but don’t hold your breath… One thing Cullen has been very smart with is his coaching team. Very quickly he realised his need to supplement his skills, there was talk of him exiting after his first couple of years but he was extremely shrewd bringing in Lancaster and now Nienaber. That has worked superbly and added a layer that really has made a tangible difference. Apart from that you were bang on the money… 😉😂
5 Go to commentsNot sure exactly what went wrong for him at Glasgow but it’s pretty clear he ain’t Franco’s cup of tea. Suspect he would have been better served heading out of Scotland around the same time as Finn, Hoggy and Jonny!
1 Go to commentsBulls disrespected the Northampton supporters and the competition. Decide quickly, fully in or out.
26 Go to commentsI wonder if Parling was ever on England’s radar as a coach? Obviously Borthwick is a great lineout coach, but I do worry he might be taking on too much as both head coach and forwards coach.
1 Go to commentsJason Jenkins has one cap. When Etzebeth was his age he had over 80 caps. Experience matters. He will never amount to what Etzebeth has because he hasn’t been developed as an international player.
2 Go to comments