Many of New Zealand's young rugby players are being lured overseas, much to the disappointment of Graham Henry. Their incentive must go, says Lynn McConnell, senior editor of Sportal.co.nz.
You do have to wonder where New Zealand's young rugby players are getting their advice.
All Blacks coach Graham Henry is reportedly upset that so many young players are heading offshore in the pursuit of foreign dollars before they have completed their run at the great New Zealand dream: winning All Blacks status.
Players do have a limited time in the game, and they do have to maximise their abilities — as does anyone in the workforce. But being stuck in some British backwater, training and playing in conditions far removed from the generally better weather struck in New Zealand, during the Super Rugby series especially, can't be the greatest dream in the world.
However, in the free market the world has become, the market forces provide the opportunity and there is not much the All Blacks coach, whoever that may be, can do about it.
There is the cynical viewpoint to be had that every place taken by a New Zealander in Britain is one less place for a homegrown player to develop over there. And if the Brits are happy having their rugby competitions looking like a sporting version of the United Nations, as English football does, then good on them.
Impatience is a vice of the young and if the chance is there they are going to take it. But at least some of the criticism should be aimed at New Zealand rugby thinking itself. It involves releasing some of the bonds that hold the game in New Zealand.
It is well past time that New Zealand Rugby looked to establish a fighting chest to keep these players in New Zealand and to create an atmosphere that prevents players looking overseas. The old catchcry that the New Zealand dollar can't compete with British payments can only be used for so long.
A professional administrative approach would see a more public ownership of the game for the All Blacks and for the Super Rugby franchises. That would allow rugby employees to focus more time and effort into maximising the opportunities to keep players in New Zealand. This could be a wide-ranging concept aimed at providing education for players built around their rugby requirements so that the need to cater for their future by playing rugby overseas is removed, or made less appealing.
There must be any number of opportunities that could be developed by working in with reputable entities to allow this to happen on a much wider scale than is the case now.
Education is just one area that could be involved. There could be many others. Rugby might say that it is already doing its bit in this regard, but the evidence is that it is not making any impact with the players concerned.
Continuing monetary losses are going to be a problem for a long-time yet — some extraordinary thinking is required, but is rugby prepared to make that move?
Acknowledgements: MSN Sports
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