Why it's not 'entirely a bad thing' for Australian players to move overseas
Andy Marinos concedes Rugby Australia needs to step up its talent identification to avoid losing more Mack Hansen’s and the like to international rivals.
But the RA chief doesn’t believe players moving from country to country is necessarily a bad thing for the code.
After representing Australia at the 2018 under-20s World Cup and playing 21 games for the ACT Brumbies, Hansen has proven a revelation since switching allegiance to Ireland.
The electrifying fullback-cum-winger is the latest emerging star to turn his back on Wallabies opportunities, with ex-Rebels centre Sione Tuipulotu killing it for Scotland after following his grandmother’s heritage.
Turning 29 next month, former NSW Waratahs forward Jack Dempsey is also excelling for Scotland after being overlooked for the Wallabies after playing 14 Tests.
But it’s the defection of younger players, including Jack Cornelsen and Dylan Riley, who chose Japan over Australia, that is becoming a bigger concern for Wallabies fans.
Tuipulotu’s younger brother Mosese, 21, a centre at the Waratahs, is reportedly being hotly pursued by Scotland.
“I don’t see it as being entirely a bad thing, to be quite honest,” Marinos said on Thursday.
“A lot of the time, and there’s been many examples of it over the last decade, where a player is probably just a journeyman in their own country and they go into a new environment and they get a new lease of life and that’s positive for the world game.
“The big thing that’s got to come back into our system in terms of that early identification is making sure we’re getting the right talent into the right pathways early and nurturing and looking after that talent.
“The movement of players is going to continue; with changes to regulations and eligibility after the stand-down period, that certainly has opened up that chasm a lot wider for us.
“But I’m of the view that you don’t necessarily frown upon it all the time.
“We’ve just got to sort out our own back yard and make sure that we keep our best talent and not let those ones slip out.”
Marinos is taking a philosophical approach, especially while acknowledging RA is still in the midst of recovering from the financially crippling COVID-19 period when the governing body recorded a $27 million loss in 2020 alone.
“The reality is you can’t keep everyone,” he said.
“I’m sure Mac Hansen probably would have (been a great Wallaby).
“He had an opportunity to go abroad and he’s made the best of that and you’ve got to wish him well and celebrate that.”
Marinos was speaking after joining Rugby Union Players’ Association chief Justin Harrison in announcing the finalisation of the new four-year collective bargaining agreement.
After a turbulent period under Raelene Castle’s leadership, Harrison believes RA and RUPA are now far more united to take the game forward post-pandemic.
“It took us a while to get there, and a bit of regime change as well, but we think from then on that all parties have come together with an interest to grow the game,” Harrison said.
“The players are most pleased about being recognised as a partner in the game.
“The eras of schoolboy/headmaster, schoolgirl/headmistress notion of being told what to do and how to do it and ‘we’ll tell you when we’re ready’, there’s certainly been different now.”
While bonuses have been reinstated for the Wallabies, who took a big financial hit during COVID, Australia’s top women’s rugby players also received a pay boost.
RA will contract up to 35 players with the potential to earn $52,000, while paid maternity leave has also been ratified.
Comments on RugbyPass
Wasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
3 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
3 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
30 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
3 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
30 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
30 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
30 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
30 Go to comments