Steve Hansen sheds light on softened All Blacks eligibility stance

Sir Steve Hansen is softening to the idea of All Blacks being able to play in Japan and keeping their eligibility for national selection.

The former All Blacks coach says the current conversation around eligibility laws isn’t dissimilar to the one that’s been going on for some time now, despite Scott Robertson’s injection of open-mindedness. But while that dial hasn’t shifted, his own ideas have – slightly.

From his experience in Japan’s Rugby League One since stepping down as All Black coach following 2019’s Rugby World Cup, Hansen says the accessibility of the Japanese game, and all of its world-class talent, presents plenty of untapped potential for New Zealand.

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“Just the ease of getting back from here (Japan) to New Zealand, the number of New Zealand coaches that are up here that the All Blacks or New Zealand Rugby could rely on and help facilitate the players returning back into New Zealand rugby for the All Blacks,” Hansen explained to Sport Nation’s Beaver & Guy.

“The communication that would be needed and the trust that would be needed around strength and conditioning programmes and those sorts of things. There’s a heap of people and connections that can help.

“Those sorts of things say to you, that maybe it could work.”

Hansen pointed to various counterparts around the league like former Wallabies coaches Dave Rennie and Robbie Deans to illustrate his point, both individuals well versed in the rigours of international rugby.

Hansen, along with his All Blacks successor Ian Foster, is currently overseeinga squad with the likes of Aaron Smith, Michael Hooper and World Rugby Player of the Year Pieter-Steph du Toit, although the latter is injured and could miss the entire current season.

Rennie currently has on his books former All Blacks in Ngani Laumape and Brodie Reatllick. While Richie Mo’unga and Shannon Frizell are under the guidance of Todd Blackadder.

With all the expertise and familiarity with the Kiwi system available in Japan, Hansen sees the league as ready and capable of accommodating New Zealand Rugby’s player welfare standards and, therefore, a change in eligibility that allows All Blacks to play there wouldn’t be detrimental to the nation’s top talent.

However, the impact the most high-profile Kiwi names heading overseas would have on Super Rugby is still a concern and, ultimately, the bigger factor at play for Hansen.

“I still worry about our own competition and our own development back home,” he said.

“We’ve got a competition in New Zealand that we’ve got to keep the integrity of. I think players have always known that if you go overseas you can’t be selected and if you really want to play for the All Blacks, then you’ll stay at home and play for them.

“I’m still probably keen on that idea – select from home first and foremost and keep the integrity of the competitions going.”