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.
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
A lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
3 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
1 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
2 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
2 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
3 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
2 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
4 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
21 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
21 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
3 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
3 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to commentsMake what step up? Manie has a World Cup winner’s medal around his neck and changed the way the Springboks can play. He doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone. The win record of the Boks with him in the team is tremendous. Sacha can be wonderful and I hope he has a very succesful Bok career, but comparing him to Manie in terms of the next Bok flyhalf is very strange. Manie is the incumbent (not the next) and doing pretty incredibly.
4 Go to comments