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Visa nightmare could put Sonny Bill Williams' Super League career at risk
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.
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.
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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.
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“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.
Comments on RugbyPass
that backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
24 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
48 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
24 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
24 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
24 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
24 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
24 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to commentsI think he is right, SBW is respected in RSA. The guy who never stood up is a worm. Sseems lots of NZ SBW hate, you do the crime do the time.
17 Go to commentsAfter missing the curfew, the player was simply too “Shagged” to stand up.
17 Go to commentsVernier is probably the best 12 in the world though she has some English competition these days . I am nervous for England because it is unpredictable France and who knows which team will turn up, but they have not yet shown anything that should worry England, Saturday could be a different day. I would be more confident against the BFs.
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