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Why 25-year-old Samu Kerevi will be considering leaving Australian rugby
While nothing has been confirmed yet, it is widely speculated that the Queensland Reds captain and talisman Samu Kerevi will be moving to Japan after the World Cup this year.
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The centre is expected to join Suntory Goliath, bringing an end to his Super Rugby and Wallabies career for however long he is there. This is a decision that has shocked Australian fans, particularly given where he is in his career currently, and they have started to speculate why a player would seek a move away.
The 25-year-old is in the form of his life at the moment, as he has probably been the Reds’ best player this season, and one of Super Rugby’s. His power and offloading game give the Queensland side a lot of momentum, as he will be able to with the Wallabies. He will certainly play a major part in Michael Cheika’s World Cup campaign, but he will be saying goodbye to his international career temporarily after that.
With only 23 Wallabies caps, Kerevi would be unable to represent his country if he is playing abroad due to the Giteau Law, which requires players to have over 60 caps. This is something that he would have weighed up should he decide to leave.
The primary reason why fans think Kerevi wants to leave is money. The Japanese league, or France’s Top 14, can offer significantly more money than Rugby Australia can. Ultimately, this is Kerevi’s job, and it has to be treated like that sometimes. Making a move at the beginning of a World Cup cycle is the best option financially and in rugby terms, as it may not hamper his selection come 2023.
With Rugby Australia potentially facing a costly court battle with Israel Folau, some are speculating that this may be a drain on their resources, forcing some of their star players to make a move.
However, one factor that is being mentioned is the standard of rugby in Super Rugby no longer being what it used to be. While the issue of money has always been in the spotlight in Super Rugby, the decline in quality has been a more pernicious topic.
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While Japan will not offer a better standard, there is an argument that Super Rugby is not worth remaining in any more. The Reds play in a virtually empty stadium every week, as crowds and spectators seem uninterested. Kerevi must have noticed that, and it could have influenced his decision.
This is what the fans have said:
You need a football reason to stay and maybe Super Rugby doesn’t offer that allure anymore. Maybe it’s just another league in another part of the world in a game that has a mobile workforce.
— Phil Lutton (@phillutton78) June 7, 2019
High praise & role model labels don’t translate into $. Many mistake professional athletes primary desire is to represent their country but as people do in ‘real life’ they make choices for what’s best for their family if they are the primary breadwinner.
— Heather Arthy (@Heather_Art) June 7, 2019
No future here. Cash in while fit.
— John Dunlop (@JDSportsMgmt) June 7, 2019
It’s all about maximum dollars in his window for earning it. I’d change companies tomorrow if someone doubled my salary.
— Nixon Gill (@Nixon_Gill) June 7, 2019
Why would you want to play rugby in Australia atm? The Super Rugby competition is a mess, stadiums are empty, the commentary and promotion surrounding the game is embarrassing and the financial reasons are non existent.
— Tyrone Alvarez (@Tyrone172V) June 7, 2019
Because the circus that is the ARU is spaffing all its cash on Israel Folau and the Rebels instead of investing in keeping talent inside Australia
— Timbo (@timsmiff15) June 7, 2019
Japan and NH clubs weakening all SH comps and player depth across all the nations little by little. Not that those in the north care, quite the opposite after all those years of southern domination.
— Jupast (@JPStewart19) June 6, 2019
I wonder if it is possible the Folau appeal is stopping RA from increasing their offer to samu so he’ll stay? RA might be worried they won’t be able to afford to pay samu or other big contracts if Folau wins the appeal and gets a payout around the 5+million mark
— WordOfTheLord (@praiseTheLordy) June 7, 2019
This is the big problem that Australian rugby and South African rugby are facing at the moment, as there is a major exodus of talent to the northern hemisphere. While the Springboks have loosened their selection criteria, meaning overseas players can represent their country, the Wallabies have not been so lax, but it is still not stopping some of their biggest stars from leaving.
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If Kerevi is to leave Australian rugby, he will play his last Super Rugby game this weekend against the Brumbies in Canberra, having played his last home game against the Blues in an emotional win last weekend.
Comments on RugbyPass
Jake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
11 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
3 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
3 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to commentsMake what step up? Manie has a World Cup winner’s medal around his neck and changed the way the Springboks can play. He doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone. The win record of the Boks with him in the team is tremendous. Sacha can be wonderful and I hope he has a very succesful Bok career, but comparing him to Manie in terms of the next Bok flyhalf is very strange. Manie is the incumbent (not the next) and doing pretty incredibly.
1 Go to comments00 😍 U
1 Go to commentsSabbaticals have helped keep NZ’s very best talent in the country on long term deals - this fact has been left out of this article. Much like the articles calling to allow overseas players to be selected, yet can only name one player currently not signed to NZR who would be selected for the ABs. And in the entire history of NZ players leaving to play overseas, literally only 4 or 5 have left in their prime as current ABs. (Piatau, Evans, Hayman, Mo’unga,?) Yes Carter got an injury while playing in France 16 years ago, but he also got a tournament ending injury at the 2011 World Cup while taking mid-week practice kicks at goal. Maybe Jordie gets a season-ending injury while playing in Ireland, maybe he gets one next week against the Brumbies. NZR have many shortcomings, but keeping the very best players in the country and/or available for ABs selection is not one of them. Likewise for workload management - players missing 2 games out of 14 is hardly a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Again let’s use some facts - did it stop the Crusaders winning SR so many times consecutively when during any given week they would be missing 2 of their best players? The whole idea of the sabbatical is to reward your best players who are willing to sign very long term deals with some time to do whatever they want. They are not handed out willy-nilly, and at nowhere near the levels that would somehow devalue Super Rugby. In this particular example JB is locked in with NZR for what will probably (hopefully) be the best years of his career, hard to imagine him not sticking around for a couple more after for a Lions tour and one more world cup. He has the potential to become the most capped AB of all time. A much better outcome than him leaving NZ for a minimum of 3 years at the age of 27, unlikely to ever play for the ABs again, which would be the likely alternative.
3 Go to commentsJake White talks more sense than anything I've read in the last 5 years. Hope someone's listening.
11 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.
11 Go to commentsExeter were thumped by 38 points. And they only had to hop on a train.
39 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.
39 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 comments