The two French clubs willing to pay Beauden Barrett $2.6m NZD a year
Two French rugby clubs are set to enter a bidding war in the new year in an attempt to lure All Black first five Beauden Barrett following the Rugby World Cup in 2019.
Barrett has played a monumental role in another outrageously successful All Blacks year to date. The men in black have scored 52 tries so far, the most by any top-tier country, and have scored the most tries every calendar year since 2010. Barrett has scored six, five of which were against Australia (with four in the second Bledisloe Cup Test), which equals Ben Smith’s 2013 record of tries scored against Australia.
While Barrett may opt to stay in New Zealand after the World Cup, lucrative overseas offers could prove too good to pass up.
The star flyhalf taking a sojourn to Japan would very much be the preference for New Zealand Rugby, who prefer their All Blacks to take lucrative breaks in the short and relatively less taxing Top League season, which effectively allows them to top up their salary while remaining with reaching distance of both the All Blacks and Super Rugby.
A temporary move to Japan would allow Barrett to re-commit to NZR and the Hurricanes long term, in similar fashion to Dan Carter’s Perpignan stint after the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
At a press conference in Toyko today Barrett said “there was a lot to like about Japan” and there was good open communications between the coaches, his management and New Zealand Rugby and at the right time he would make a decision.
While a move to the Top League in 2020 is still a very real possibility and the most likely, the pull of top-class competition in Europe and an enormous pay cheque could yet lure the back-to-back World Player of the Year winner.
Two French sides now appear to be now leading the race for the Hurricane, with Montpellier Herault’s interest in the player waining as they look to spend their salary cap in a less top-heavy manner.
New Zealand born Montpellier headcoach Vern Cotter told RugbyPass recently “As much as everybody says there’s money in France, we’re all run very strictly by salary cap, and I think financially the Premiership teams have probably got the nudge on us – even if we have money, we still can’t spend it.”
“We have an envelope, we can only spend within it and you’ve got to have a 45-man squad now. Gone are the days where you got through a season at this level with 30 players. You’ve got to budget for 45 players and everybody has to have a piece of it.
“The big-spending French clubs is almost a myth now. The demands of rugby require big squads to get through long, hard seasons and marquee players in English clubs have definitely got a financial advantage over French clubs. We’ll see less and less big-spending French clubs unless there’s a change in the salary cap regulation.”
Top 14 clubs must also ensure 55% of their elite squads and 14 of their match-day players are home-grown, either by spending three years in a French academy before the age of 21, or by being registered with the FFR for five years prior to turning 23.
As reported by L’Equippe in September, Lyon are prepared to make an offer in the region of €1.5 million per season.
Despite this massive bid, the more established Racing 92 are still favourites – according to reports in the New Zealand Herald – to win his signature should he come to France. Last year’s Champions Cup finalists famously counted Dan Carter among their flock until his move to Japan at the end of last season.
Lyon are the new rich of the Top14, and have a willingness to compete for the largest names on the global stage. The club have the 5th highest budget in the league, with €29.8m at their disposal.
This doesn’t mean they can exceed the salary cap of course. Last month League National de Rugby (LNR) in France have confirmed the new cap which will be in place for the next three seasons.
The LNR have set the cap at €11.3 million euro per season, or roughly 10 million pounds sterling. Spread over a squad of 35, that works out at an average of €322,000 per player.
That’s just under 43 per cent larger than that of the Premiership.
However, Gallagher Premierships clubs are allowed two Excluded Players whose salaries sit outside the cap, enabling clubs to recruit and retain world-class talent.
Within the £7 million Salary Cap ceiling, clubs are encouraged to develop homegrown talent by accessing up to £600,000 of Home Grown Player Credits.
Wherever he decided to go, it will almost certainly break Dan Carter’s record salary at Racing.
Comments on RugbyPass
Best thing the Welsh clubs could do is apply to join Gallagher prem surely be more exciting matches for there support than they have now.
2 Go to commentsRugbyPass writers are useless! you guys should get a real job because you all suck at writing about rugby!!!
8 Go to commentslooking forward to RWC2027 …. Boks on mission impossible for the Three-in-a-row, ABs to prove they being on par, France wishing to crown the “DuPont-era”, Ireland knocking on the Semi-Door ….. until then we’ll probably have to deal with Weird Ben’s fantasy-RWC23 (fun fact is, the drivel always creates a flooding of comments) …..
221 Go to commentsBen Smith you really make some good points in this article, the Springboks were not close to perfect and good still beat the All Blacks, imagine if they were as good as they were against France what a hiding the All Blacks would have gotten… maybe another Twickenham drubbing
221 Go to commentsIt is a good argument to keep the Rebels for one more year but also isnt this just opening the door as well for keeping them beyond 2025. If they can create some sort of financial stability in the next year and if their performances lift as they have this season then how would RA even cull them after that? It might be the most cost effective decision at this stage and perhaps many people are guilty of keeping relationships going because of the cost to decouple but then again when does that ever work out well?
21 Go to commentsDear Ben Smith you are a genius! God please become the next all blacks coach that can take on the mighty BOKS. Your rugby acumen is second to none - imagine your dads sperm bounced as unfortunately as that oval ball did….we would not be blessed with your presence. Just as the all blacks were missing a man you too are missing a chromosome for 80% of your life, so your insights are not only profound but ring true from your own experiences. Just as the TMO interfered with citing an illegal pass I am sure your local authorities interfere with your illegal passes you make on women - How dare they!!! God forbid that rugby be officiated fairly. You are the right man for the job. Next all blacks coach is here ladies and gentlemen Miss Ben Smith (He/She/They/IT)
221 Go to commentsHuge engine this guy and great to see him back ..The amount of clean outs he does at the ruck are ridiculous !!
3 Go to commentsThe level of desperation in this article is just embarrassing.
221 Go to commentsSome silly trolling in the comments.
9 Go to commentsEverywhere you turn some irish journo is advocating Ireland as the greatest, reasoning that the wc is a 4 year cycle event so, they say wc doesn’t matter it’s the rugby in between that should account for the accolade. If there was no wc then some substance could be gained, however in my opinion the moment that defined Ireland’s fate against the abs was 37 phases of repeated head bashing against a brick wall. If a change in strategy or a tinker with the game plan was executed then things could've been vastly different. And to point a finger the let down was in the hands of the number 10.
64 Go to commentsI have heard it asked if RA is essentially one of the part owners and I suppose therefor should be on the other side of these two parties. If they purchased the rebels and guaranteed them, and are responsible enough they incur Rebels penalties, where is this line drawn? Seems rough to have to pay a penalty for something were your involvement sees you on the side of the conned party, the creditors. If the Rebels directors themselves have given the club their money, 6mil worth right, why aren’t they also listed as sitting with RA and the Tax office? And the legal threat was either way, new Rebels or defunct, I can’t see how RA assume the threat was less likely enough to warrant comment about it in this article. Surely RA ignore that and only worry about whether they can defend it or not, which they have reported as being comfortable with. So in effect wouldn’t it be more accurate to say there is no further legal threat (or worry) in denying the deal. Unless the directors have reneged on that. > Returns of a Japanese team or even Argentinean side, the Jaguares, were said to be on the cards, as were the ideas of standing up brand new teams in Hawaii or even Los Angeles – crazy ideas that seemingly forgot the time zone issues often cited as a turn-off for viewers when the competition contained teams from South Africa. Those timezones are great for SR and are what will probably be needed to unlock its future (cant see it remaining without _atleast _help from Aus), day games here are night games on the West Coast of america, were potential viewers triple, win win. With one of the best and easiest ways to unlock that being to play games or a host a team there. Less good the further across Aus you get though. Jaguares wouldn’t be the same Jaguares, but I still would think it’s better having them than keeping the Rebels. The other options aren’t really realistic 25’ options, no. From reading this authors last article I think if the new board can get the investment they seem to be confident in, you keeping them simply for the amount of money they’ll be investing in the game. Then ditch them later if they’re not good enough without such a high budget. Use them to get Jaguares reintergration stronger, with more key players on board, and have success drive success.
21 Go to commentsYeah, and ours is waaay bigger than yours. Just as you's get a semi…oh hold on that never happens
64 Go to commentsLove watching
1 Go to commentsThe Melbourne Rebels lineout is a complete disaster so not surprisingly a kiwi coach of the Wallabies hires the worst lineout coach in the country and a foreigner to boot. No surprises whatsoever here…….
6 Go to commentsThank your for wasting 2 minutes of my life Daniel. There is a useful message in there somewhere but your delivery sucks.
8 Go to commentsBen Smith, you are cry baby
221 Go to commentsSux that homophobia is still a thing though. I wonder how many players who could have become legends never kept playing rugby because they felt unwelcome.
8 Go to commentsCrazy he’s only 28, feel like he’s been around forever - don’t mind the move, safe pair of hands and creates depth in a thin position for ABs. Hopefully aides Kemara’s growth also without thrusting too much responsibility on him
1 Go to commentsMen should show strength and be mean, but they should be able to show emotion to those close yo them in certain times, birth of your child, death of family, proud moment. This article is stupid
8 Go to commentsWhat a weak article…absolute drivel and clickbait, well done. Will stick to rugby365 thanks
8 Go to comments