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'We would like that': Rennie wants Cooper back in Super Rugby
Wallabies head coach Dave Rennie has revealed he is eager for star playmaker Quade Cooper to return to Super Rugby after a two-year absence from the competition.
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Speaking to media following confirmation that Cooper will end his four-year hiatus from test rugby this weekend, Rennie said having a player of his experience based back in Australia would be beneficial to the development of younger players around him.
Cooper hasn’t played Super Rugby since 2019 after he ended his one-year deal with the Melbourne Rebels to join the Hanazono Kintetsu Liners.
The 33-year-old veteran of 70 tests remains contracted to the Japanese club, but would be a highly-valued addition to any one of the Australian Super Rugby franchises as they struggle to keep hold of their top-line talent from offshore suiters.
The departure of Australia’s top players, combined with the lack of success endured by the Wallabies, has forced Rugby Australia to review its Giteau Law, which has enabled Cooper to remain eligible for Wallabies selection while being based overseas.
The Giteau Law stipulates that the only overseas-based players eligible for the Wallabies are those with at least 60 test caps and seven years of professional playing experience in Australia.
Key figures within the Australian rugby landscape have been left divided over whether those rules should be relaxed to allow the Wallabies to pick more, or any, overseas-based players from Australia.
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Supporters of relaxing the Giteau Law believe doing so would strengthen the Wallabies, but critics have argued that would be to the detriment of Super Rugby, a competition of which the Australian teams are struggling in against their Kiwi counterparts.
Bringing Cooper back into Super Rugby could be a step in the right direction for Australia at Super Rugby level, though, and it would go against the ongoing trend of Australia’s top players leaving the competition.
That trend has continued this off-season, with the likes of Marika Koroibete, Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Isi Naisarani, Jack Maddocks and Jack Dempsey all confirming their exits to Japan and Europe.
Amid the continual raft of players leaving Australia’s shores, Rennie told reporters on Friday that he would welcome the recruitment of Cooper by any of the Australian Super Rugby franchises as he would prefer to keep his players domestically based.
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“We want a lot of guys to come back, ideally,” he said ahead of his side’s Rugby Championship clash against the Springboks on the Gold Coast on Sunday.
Wallabies boss Dave Rennie has rejected suggestions that the selection of Quade Cooper against the Springboks was a panic move after three straight losses. #Wallabies #RSAvAUS #RugbyChampionship https://t.co/fTi1EXF7cO
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 11, 2021
“It’ll strengthen Super Rugby and help with a lot of young men that we have, playing with experienced players with experienced players at club level, so we would like that.”
Cooper would be no novice in Super Rugby given he was a key member of the 2011 championship-winning Queensland Reds team and made more than 100 appearances for the team between 2006 and 2017 before playing 16 times for the Rebels in 2019.
A move back to the competition would present new challenges for Cooper, though, as it has rebranded to Super Rugby Pacific following the additions of Moana Pasifika and the Fijian Drua in place of the South African, Argentine and Japanese teams.
During his time as Chiefs head coach between 2012 and 2017, Rennie came up against Cooper on numerous occasions when his side played the Reds.
Although this weekend’s test against South Africa will be the first time Cooper has played under Rennie, the Wallabies boss is well aware of the threats his recalled playmaker poses after having felt the full brunt of his talents as a member of the opposition.
“I mean we won it in 2012 and 2013, but we lost both years to the Reds and Quade carved us up both times,” Rennie said as he referenced his back-to-back Super Rugby titles in his first two years in charge of the Chiefs.
“It’s a wee while ago, obviously, but his ability to play on top of defences off quick ball and make smart decisions really stood out.
“I know he was enemy No 1 for a long time from the All Blacks supporters, but we’ve always had a lot of respect for his skill set.
“I’ve got to know him really well over the last few weeks. He’s grown up, he’s matured, he’s desperate for another opportunity, and we’re looking forward to seeing him wear the jersey again on the weekend.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Thanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
4 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
4 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
25 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
25 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
4 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
45 Go to comments