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Visa nightmare could put Sonny Bill Williams' Super League career at risk

By Online Editors
(Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

Former All Blacks superstar Sonny Bill Williams’ lucrative deal with the Toronto Wolfpack could be in jeopardy, with visa issues threatening to derail the Canadian rugby league club’s future in the English Super League.

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Williams, 34, signed with the Wolfpack on a two-year deal reportedly worth $10 million shortly after the All Blacks’ failed Rugby World Cup campaign in Japan late last year – but like most sporting competitions around the world, the Super League has been forced into a hiatus by the Covid-19 pandemic since.

The league shut down in mid-March but is hoping to restart soon.

The Mirror is reporting that Williams and six of his overseas-based Wolfpack teammates have been stranded abroad, as their initial six-month UK visas have expired.

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Tuivasa-Sheck caused the Chiefs fits as the Blues ran up a 36-12 win in 2011, which led to New Zealand schoolboy selection for Roger.

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Tuivasa-Sheck caused the Chiefs fits as the Blues ran up a 36-12 win in 2011, which led to New Zealand schoolboy selection for Roger.

Though talks with the Rugby Football League and Super League are ongoing, Wolfpack owner David Argyle told the newspaper he fears the club’s continued visa issues could mean the club wouldn’t be able to complete the rest of the season.

According to The Mirror, no progress has been made after the Home Office told the club they couldn’t “deal with them directly”.

“This has been going on for three and a half years now and this COVID situation has exacerbated it,” Argyle told the newspaper.

“I’m not blaming anybody – I can understand the bureaucratic position and we are only a very small issue for an organisation like the Home Office.

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“But we’ve come to a crunch point now where it needs to be resolved.”

The club have recruited a number of high-profile players and staff for their debut season in the top flight – including coach Brian McDermott.

“It’s always been a big issue for us and it hasn’t been resolved, and if it isn’t resolved now then I don’t see any way we can participate in the rest of this season,” Argyle told The Mirror.

“It’s been suggested to us that we could loan young players from other clubs, but we’re not here to make up the numbers and we never have been. We didn’t hire Brian McDermott as coach to do that.

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“We joined this competition in the belief that we would have the full support of the RFL – and ultimately success in resolving this visa issue.”

Australian media outlets are reporting that the NRL could be an option for Williams, who started his professional sporting career as a teenager with the Bulldogs, and has been heavily linked with a return to the league over the past three years.

With the player signing deadline only on August 3, Williams and teammates – including Chase Stanley, Josh McCrone and Bodene Thompson – could yet link up with NRL clubs, with the mandatory 14-day quarantine period in Australia the biggest potential obstacle.

Williams made a less than impressive return to the 13-man code, with the Wolfpack failing to win a single one of their six matches before the coronavirus pandemic brought the Super League to a grinding halt.

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Adrian 20 minutes ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

6 Go to comments
T
Trevor 3 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
B
Bull Shark 7 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

29 Go to comments
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