'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
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— RugbyPass+ (@RugbyPassPlus) 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
Wasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
3 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
3 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
30 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn 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.
11 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
3 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 Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 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!😭😭😭 !!!
30 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
30 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.
30 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.
30 Go to comments