Former All Blacks boss Sir Steve Hansen has sounded a warning to New Zealand Rugby about potentially changing their overseas policy.
Current head coach Scott Robertson has consistently urged the governing body to keep an “open mind” and will discuss the matter with his bosses ahead of the 2025 campaign.
Robertson would like to see changes made to allow him to select certain players that are based overseas, citing the Springboks’ success, but Hansen insists that New Zealand should not be following that example.
‘South Africa can’t afford to keep their players’
“It’s something you think about a lot because it’s obvious they want Richie Mo’unga back. Are we doing it because they want Richie back or are we doing it because we think it’s right? That’s the question you have to answer,” he told DSPN with Martin Devlin.
“I think it’s really dangerous if we say that South Africa is the model we should copy because it’s worked for them.
“South Africa are in a totally different situation to us. They can’t afford to keep their players, so what they’re doing works for them.
“We can’t afford to actually ruin our competition, so we have to be really smart about doing it if we’re doing it.
“What happens to the people back here? Do they all decide they want to go? If you’re a first five at the moment and you were hearing they want Richie back, do you go, ‘well I’m out of here’?
“That’s the challenge they’ve got and they need to sort it out as quickly as possible. As we know, there’s a few other things that have got to be sorted out first.”
Most top All Blacks ply their trade in Japan. Generally they have gone on short-term sabbaticals, such as Beauden Barrett and Ardie Savea, who have returned to play for the national team, but others have signed longer deals.
That means the likes of Mo’unga and Shannon Frizell are not available to Robertson, with Sam Cane and TJ Perenara joining them from 2025.
Undercooked?
The Japan Rugby League One is seen as a much weaker competition than Super Rugby and some are concerned that they could be undercooked should they select from outside New Zealand, but Hansen, who currently works for Toyota Verblitz, disagrees.
“I think we’re being disrespectful to what’s going on in Japan rugby,” he said. “It’s probably one of the best competitions in the world; it’s got some of the best players in the world in it and it’s got some of the best coaches.
“It’s of a high standard and you’ve seen Beauden Barrett come back and play well, you’ve seen Ardie come back and play well.
“The people who are saying you can’t do it are thinking about five years ago. The game, even in the time I’ve been coming up here, has really gone to another level.
“That’s not the issue, the issue is whether New Zealand Rugby wants that to happen or not, and that’s for other people to decide.
“I know the players up here get well looked after, I know there’s a lot of New Zealand coaches up here so there’s still a lot of interest and support for the All Blacks.”
