'Not interested': All Blacks star Richie Mo'unga not wanted by top Japanese club
One of Japan’s leading clubs says it isn’t keen on pursuing All Blacks star Richie Mo’unga despite his desire to relocate to Japan after next year’s World Cup.
In an interview with the New Zealand Herald, Mo’unga revealed that he intends to leave New Zealand to play in Japan Rugby League One for a two-year period from 2024 onwards.
Mo’unga’s revelation comes after the 32-test first-five last week announced a one-year contract extension with New Zealand Rugby, which will keep him on Kiwi shores until the end of the 2023 World Cup.
The 28-year-old’s comments will undoubtedly set the tongues of numerous League One clubs wagging due to his status as a five-time Super Rugby champion and three-time Super Rugby Player of the Year.
The Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights aren’t one of those clubs, though, according to their general manager Hitoshi Iijima.
Speaking in the wake of Panasonic’s title-winning League One campaign, Iijima said on Tuesday that the availability of Mo’unga doesn’t interest the Wild Knights.
Already equipped with the services of veteran pivots Rikiya Matsuda and Takuya Yamasawa, Iijima made it clear that the Wild Knights are unlikely to chase Mo’unga’s signature.
“We already have good first-five-eighths, two outstanding first-five-eighths, so unless Richie Mo’unga turns into a beast No 8 or lock, we’re probably not interested,” Iijima said via an interpreter.
Matsuda has been a prominent figure for the Brave Blossoms since his international debut in 2016, having played four of his 29 tests during Japan’s historic run to the 2019 World Cup quarter-finals.
Yamasawa, meanwhile, impressed en route to Panasonic’s 18-12 League One final victory over Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath on Sunday.
As such, Yamasawa has won a recall into the Brave Blossoms squad for their upcoming tests against Uruguay and France, five years after he played the last of his three tests for Japan.
The presence of those two players leaves little room at the Wild Knights for Mo’unga, whose eagerness to play in Japan on a short-term basis may also be viewed unfavourably by Panasonic.
Iijima outlined that the Wild Knights have a preference for players who are willing to commit to the club for a long period of time rather than for only a year or two, like Mo’unga is planning.
“We tend to look at players that can commit to us for a longer term, that can be loyal to the team rather than sabbatical, short-term players. We like players that are happy to commit to us for a longer term,” Iijima said.
While the Wild Knights look an unlikely destination for Mo’unga, the Crusaders pivot has hinted at a potential move to Suntory in a transfer that would see him follow in the footsteps of All Blacks teammates Beauden Barrett and Damian McKenzie.
Barrett and McKenzie both failed to win silverware during their respective season-long stints with Suntory as they each fell short against Panasonic in the 2021 and 2022 finals.
That prompted Mo’unga to suggest to the New Zealand Herald that he could do what his two countrymen couldn’t and turn Suntory into League One champions.
“You look at someone like D-Mac [McKenzie] who has been able to go over there and be a huge influence,” Mo’unga said.
“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.”
Mo’unga is expected to start for the Crusaders in Friday’s Super Rugby Pacific quarter-final against the Reds in Christchurch after missing last week’s fixture against the Queenslanders at Orangetheory Stadium through injury.
Comments on RugbyPass
Bar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
35 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
35 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
35 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
35 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
35 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
35 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
35 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
18 Go to comments