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Western Force's successful recruitment drive saves Aussie rules players from being monstered by Richard Kahui
Richard Kahui had all but come to terms with the fact that he was never going to play Super Rugby again. While the coronavirus pandemic has scuppered many a plan, it’s now been the making of Kahui’s return to the competition he loves – albeit for a new team.
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The Western Force have signed the former All Black for Super Rugby AU, which is the Force’s first foray into Super Rugby since they were evicted from the competition at the end of 2017.
From the time the Force reached out to Kahui, who lives on the Gold Coast but typically spends the better part of the year in Japan representing the Toshiba Brave Lupus, it took just four days for the 2011 World Cup winner to sign on the dotted line. Had the Force not come calling, Kahui wouldn’t be playing any further professional rugby this year. In fact, he would have been playing a different sport altogether.
“I actually haven’t been out of training too long – I was training to play Aussie rules, with the first game kicking off this weekend,” Kahui told RugbyPass.
“A friend of mine came to me and said, ‘What are you up to? Why don’t you come and kick a ball around?’ So I went down and just loved it. The team was really good to me, took me in and it was just a really good way of keeping fit without pounding the pavement on my own. I love team sports and I love being in a group and that team environment.”
The sport was originally an opportunity for Kahui to simply keep his body in check, with the next Top League season not due to kick off until January.
“I was just doing it for some fitness and to do something that wasn’t as contact heavy as rugby but still get a bit of contact in and a bit of running around. The more I did it to keep fit, I thought, ‘Well actually, this might be fun to play as well.’ Fortunately enough, the Force popped up and I’ll be playing footy instead.
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“There are some bullets flying in Aussie rules but if I did play seriously, I think I’d try and stay away from the argy-bargy because I’ve obviously still got to do a job for my club in Japan, Toshiba, and now, here with the Force.
“So I’m not totally out of shape – just in a slightly different shape than what you’d expect a rugby player to be in.”
A number of Australian and New Zealand players who now represent Japanese clubs are back in their home countries while the coronavirus pandemic rages on. The Top League was called off in March, which means that many professional sportsman have been left without any professional sports to play – but few have signed up with Super Rugby clubs due to the potential risks that are involved.
“Toshiba’s been an outstanding club to me, they’ve always treated me well, whether it’s time to get home to see my family or whatever – they were really accommodating for this and I’m really thankful for that,” Kahui said. “I do appreciate the ability to come out and do this and I think they see the value of it as well.
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“I’m coming back playing Super Rugby, I get to keep the wheels ticking over during our off-season in Japan and hopefully I can take a little bit more experience of something different back to Japan.
“I’ve had four months off so far and I’m not scheduled to play in Japan until January while this is going to finish probably in September. It’s still a long amount of time if I pick up any niggles or anything to sort them out and be back ready to fire for Toshiba. I think, all-round, it’s a win-win.”
Ever wondered what life was like for former @AllBlacks midfielder Richard Kahui, having season after season cut short due to injuries? https://t.co/1zu2zOnuNV
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 17, 2019
The 35-year-old played 60 games of Super Rugby for the Chiefs and 18 tests for New Zealand. He joins fellow former All Black Jeremy Thrush in a squad which has recruited well since being invited to play in Super Rugby AU. Former Wallabies Kyle Godwin, Nick Frisby, Pek Cowan and Greg Holmes have all joined the Force’s ranks to add some much-needed experience to a side boasting plenty of promising Australian talent.
“There are quite a lot of young guys in this team that have played Rapid Rugby and age-group rugby here in Australia but haven’t played any Super,” Kahui said. “So it’s quite a cool group because everyone’s really eager to learn and everyone’s really excited.
“I noticed that, when I came into the group, everyone was fizzing to be back in Super Rugby and to have that opportunity. I remember what it was like as a young guy myself, being asked to play Super Rugby and just how inspiring it is and how it makes you feel to be out there, playing a competition that is one of the best in the world. So it’s really nice to be around that energy again and it’s sort of rubbing off on me and I’m starting to feel a little bit younger than I am.”
The Force rushed many of their recent recruits into the match-day 23 for their first game of the competition, a 23-14 loss to the Waratahs last weekend. Kahui, despite only recently joining the squad, could be on the park shortly too.
“I was hoping to get out this week but I’m not sure if that’ll be the case,” said Kahui. “The coaches have got a plan for me – just easing me back into contact and things because they don’t want to just throw me in and have me break. I think next week would be the latest but I’m still a chance for this week.”
You can bet that a fair few more Kiwi fans will be tuning into Super Rugby AU as soon as Kahui makes a return, just to catch sight of the man who dominated attackers with his crushing tackles when he was playing for Waikato, the Chiefs and the All Blacks.
“I’m still sort of getting over the fact that I’m back playing Super Rugby and all the pressures and stuff that goes with that,” Kahui said. “The thing that I’m most excited about is just playing footy in a competition that I just really love.
“It’s a real shame that obviously we don’t have the trans-Tasman Super Rugby at the moment; it’d be great to play against the Chiefs or something like but maybe that’ll happen in seasons to come, who knows.
“It’s just a really great opportunity for me – not one that I thought I’d be back doing, playing Super rugby again. It’s something that I thought I left behind when I left the shores of Aotearoa but here I am, playing in Australia.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Jake White talks more sense than anything I've read in the last 5 years. Hope someone's listening.
9 Go to commentsThe Springboks tried going down the road of only picking home-based players and it was an unmitigated disaster in 2016 and 2017. Picking overseas-based players has been one of the main reason the Boks have done so well since 2018, not only because of the quality Rassie could call on, but because of the knowledge and experience those players brought into camp from England, France and Japan. With some of the big names playing abroad it also gave younger players in SA the chance to break through at franchise level. Would we have seen the emergence of a Ruan Nortje if RG and Lood were still at the Bulls? Not so sure. I understand why Jake would want to block players leaving since his job depends on good results but it’s an approach that would take Bok rugby back to the bad old days and no South African wants to see that.
9 Go to commentsExeter were thumped by 38 points. And they only had to hop on a train.
34 Go to commentsI am De Groot.
1 Go to commentsHad hoped you might write an article on this game, Nick. It’s a good one. Things have not gone as smoothly for ROG since beating Leinster last year at the Aviva in the CC final. LAR had the Top 14 Final won till Raymond Rhule missed a simple tackle on the excellent Ntamack, and Toulouse reaped the rewards of just staying in the fight till the death. Then the disruption of the RWC this season. LAR have not handled that well, but they were not alone, and we saw Pau heading the Top 14 table at one stage early season. I would think one of the reasons for the poor showing would have to be that the younger players coming through, and the more mature amongst the group outside the top 25/30, are not as strong as would be hoped for. I note that Romain Sazy retired at the end of last season. He had been with LAR since 2010, and was thus one of their foundation players when they were promoted to Top 14. Records show he ended up with 336 games played with LAR. That is some experience, some rock in the team. He has been replaced for the most part by Ultan Dillane. At 30, Dillane is not young, but given the chances, he may be a fair enough replacement for Sazy. But that won’be for more than a few years. I honestly know little of the pathways into the LAR setup from within France. I did read somewhere a couple of years ago that on the way up to Top 14, the club very successfully picked up players from the academies of other French teams who were not offered places by those teams. These guys were often great signings…can’t find the article right now, so can’t name any….but the Tadgh Beirne type players. So all in all, it will be interesting to see where the replacements for all the older players come from. Only Lleyd’s and Rhule from SA currently, both backs. So maybe a few SA forwards ?? By contrast, Leinster have a pretty clear line of good players coming through in the majority of positions. Props maybe a weak spot ? And they are very fleet footed and shrewd in appointing very good coaches. Or maybe it is also true that very good coaches do very well in the Leinster setup. So, Nick, I would fully concurr that “On the evidence of Saturday’s semi-final between the two clubs, the rebuild in the Bay of Biscay is going to take longer than it is on the east coast of Ireland”
11 Go to commentsWhat was the excuse for the other knockout blowouts then? Does the result not prove the Saints were just so much better? Wise call to put your eggs in one basket when you’ve got 2 comps simultaneously finishing.
34 Go to commentsReally hope Kuruvoli and his partner rock the Canes.
1 Go to commentsI wonder what impact Samson has had on their attack, as the team seems less prone to trundle it up the middle, take the tackle and then trundle it up again. I lost faith in the coach last year as the Rebelss looked like a 2nd/3rd rate South African team. I also disliked Gordon standing back, often ignored as the forward battle went on and on. Maybe its our Aussie way of not getting off our A***’s until the enemy is at the gate.
86 Go to commentsThanks for the write up. Great to see the Rebs winning, I am a little interested in how they will go against the remaining kiwi teams, I think they’ve only played Hurricanes and Highlanders but how great to see these players performing!! I also see Parling has a job beyond June 30! A good move by RA? Also how do you fix the Rebels previously scratchy defence?
86 Go to commentsbe smart - go black
13 Go to commentsNext week the Crusaders hopefully have Scott Barrett back. Will be great to have the captain back. Hopefully he will be the All Black captain as well.
12 Go to commentsExciting place to be for the young fella. I expected he was French Polynesian when I saw him included in the France 6N squad (after seeing him in NZs), and therefor be strong grounds we might loose him to rugby down here. Good, in that he is good enough to warrant such a profile, and from a journalism’s fan interaction aspect, to finally get a back ground story on the fella. Hope he has settled into NZ OK and that at least one rugby country will fit with him to help his development, which, if so, he should surely continue for a few years, and then that he can experience France to it’s fullest with a bit more maturity and less reliance on family than you would have at his current age. A good 3 or 4 years before he would be ready for International duty if he wanted to wait. Of course he already sounds good enough to accept a call up, and to cap himself, in the more immediate future (he’d have to be very very good in the case of the ABs), and he’ll get a great taste of that being with the Canes who have a bunch who are just a few years further into their career and looking likely Internationals themselves.
13 Go to commentsI remember towards the end of the original broadcasting deal for Super rugby with Newscorp that there was talk about the competition expanding to improve negotiations for more money - more content, more cash. Professional rugby was still in its infancy then and I held an opposing view that if Super rugby was a truly valuable competition then it should attract more broadcasters to bid for the rights, thereby increasing the value without needing to add more teams and games. Unfortunately since the game turned professional, the tension between club, talent and country has only grown further. I would argue we’re already at a point in time where the present is the future. The only international competitions that matter are 6N, RC and RWC. The inter-hemisphere tours are only developmental for those competitions. The games that increasingly matter more to fans, sponsors and broadcasters are between the clubs. Particularly for European fans, there are multiple competitions to follow your teams fortunes every week. SA is not Europe but competes in a single continental competition, so the travel component will always be an impediment. It was worse in the bloated days of Super rugby when teams traversed between four continents - Africa, America, Asia and Australia. The percentage of players who represent their country is less than 5% of the professional player base, so the sense of sacrifice isn’t as strong a motivation for the rest who are more focused on playing professional rugby and earning as much from their body as they can. Rugby like cricket created the conundrum it’s constantly fighting a losing battle with.
9 Go to commentsOh wow… “But as La Rochelle proved in winning in Cape Town this season, a cross-continental away assignment need not spell the end of days.” La Rochelle actually proved quite the opposite. After traveling to Cape town and back they (back-to-back and current champs) got mercilessly thumped the next week. If travel is not the reason, why else would a full-strength powerhouse like La Rochelle get dumped on their @r$e$ one week later?
34 Go to commentsYou know he can land a winning conversion after the full time siren is up. (Even if it takes two attempts.)
5 Go to commentsA very insightful article from Jake. I would love to know how South African’s feel about their move to Europe. Do you prefer playing in Europe or want to go back to Super Rugby?
9 Go to commentspure fire
1 Go to commentsA very well thought out summary of all the relevant complications…agree with your ”refer the Cricket Test versus 20/20 comparison”. More also definitely doesn't necessarily mean better!
9 Go to commentsMust be something when you are only 19 y.o and both NZ and France want you. Btw he wasn’t the only new caledonian in french U20 as Robin Couly also lived in Noumea until 17. Hope he’s successful wherever he chooses to play.
13 Go to comments“Several key players in the Stade Rochelais squad are in their thirties” South Africans are going to hate the implications of that comment!
11 Go to comments