The All Blacks stars that are still without Super Rugby contracts for next season
There’s no doubt that 2020 has been a difficult year for all the rugby stakeholders in New Zealand. From a financial point of view, New Zealand Rugby, the five Super Rugby franchises, the 23 provinces and clubs across the country have been hit hard by the global coronavirus pandemic – and that’s naturally had a flow-on effect on contract negotiations.
Still, the NZR’s managed to lock in a number of players on new contracts that will see many of the nation’s best and brightest stay in the country for the foreseeable future.
Blues and North Island captain Patrick Tuipulotu put pen to paper in the early stages of Super Rugby Aotearoa to commit to New Zealand until the 2023 World Cup while the three other locks that the All Blacks took to the World Cup last year, Sam Whitelock, Brodie Retallick and Scott Barrett, are all also locked in until the next competition in France.
The midfield stocks are also looking a bit healthier than they were this time last year, with Anton Lienert-Brown and Braydon Ennor also signing new contracts this year which will see them remain in NZ until France 2023.
Factor in the long-term signings from previous seasons, such as Beauden and Jordie Barrett, Richie Mo’unga, Joe Moody and Sevu Reece, and there’s a healthy contingent of last year’s World Cup semi-finalists guaranteed to be available for the next major tournament.
Despite playing a half-century of matches on the wing for the @AllBlacks, @juliansavea7 is hoping to make an impact in the centres now that he's back in New Zealand. #AllBlacks @Mitre10Cup https://t.co/Ona4Ngt0ny
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 23, 2020
A number of up-and-coming stars have also committed their future to New Zealand, with Hoskins Sotutu and Mark Telea signing on until 2022.
That being said, there are still plenty of players whose intentions for the future are not yet publically known. Perhaps they’ve not yet signed on for the future, perhaps they’ve signed on but the details haven’t been revealed, or perhaps they’ve already committed to play elsewhere.
Professional players, coaches and administrators all had to accept pay-cuts during the season, which means some of the men that have donned the silver fern in recent years may be considering lining their pockets a little bit earlier in their careers than has become custom.
Players such as Nepo Laulala, Angus Ta’avao and Vaea Fifita all still have plenty to offer rugby in New Zealand but perhaps now would be the right time to cash in on the mileage they’ve accumulated over the years?
The Chiefs propping trio of Laulala, Ta’avao and Atu Moli have all struggled with injuries this season but the Super Rugby Aotearoa cellar-dwellers will be desperately hoping they’ll have all three onboard next season to try right the ship next year. All three’s contracts are set to end at the conclusion of the current season, however.
In the loose forwards, Fifita and fellow Hurricane Gareth Evans are in the final years of their contracts. Fifita, best known for his rampaging run against Argentina in the 2017 Rugby Championship, struggled for game time with the Hurricanes this year while Evans has been sidelined through injury.
Elsewhere around the country, Chiefs tyro Luke Jacobson will surely be close to re-signing with NZR while Dillon Hunt is said to be weighing up his options.
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Heading to the backs, Crusaders Mitch Drummond, Brett Cameron and Jack Goodhue are all off-contract next season but will likely be retained.
So while the bulk of recent All Blacks are set to continue plying their trade in New Zealand next season, there are still a number of players who NZR will be fiercely negotiating with to keep the All Blacks – and Super Rugby – strong.
Departing: Matt Duffie.
Contracted until 2020: Nepo Laulala, Angus Ta’avao, Atu Moli, Vaea Fifita, Luke Jacobson, Gareth Evans, Dillon Hunt, Mitchell Drummond, Brett Cameron, Jack Goodhue.
Contracted until 2021: Codie Taylor, Dane Coles, Asafo Aumua, Nathan Harris, Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Karl Tu’inukuafe, Shannon Frizell, Sam Cane, Ardie Savea, Akira Ioane, Aaron Smith, TJ Perenara, Brad Weber, Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, Bryn Hall, Ngani Laumape, David Havili, Damin McKenzie, Braydon Ennor.
Contracted until 2022: Liam Coltman, Joe Moody, Dalton Papalii, Richie Mo’unga, Sevu Reece, Rieko Ioane, George Bridge, Jordie Barrett.
Contracted until 2023: Tyrel Lomax, Sam Whitelock, Brodie Retallick, Scott Barrett, Patrick Tuipulotu, Anton Lienert-Brown, Braydon Ennor, Beauden Barrett.
Unknown: Josh Ioane.
Comments on RugbyPass
Big 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
1 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 commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to comments