Aussie Player Exodus

[fatprop]

I think that for young players like Angus who are not quite good enough yet to get into a Super side, going overseas for 1-3 years to develop their game is a good thing. Caveat being that they come home though of course.

So a 20 yro gets to travel and be employed as a pro rugby player in France

Despite being in the "world's greatest development program" he is going to play a lot of rugby and, I hope, has a great time

 

[pissedoffihavetoregister]

SA are playing 7 players playing week to week in japan and they won the world cup, maybe its our perspective thats wrong?
I'm just stirring as i would like to see them play locally and oz rugby beat the kiwi's a bit more often.
But - i could cope with a few more world cup wins....

 

[KOB1987]

I found out a bit more. Staniforth and a schoolmate Isaac Rumble - who was called into the U20s as injury cover during the RC, and has been playing 2nd row in 1st grade for Sydney uni as a 19 year old - are both heading to France together. Rumble is playing for Provence.

 

[Members Section]

Ian Prior representing Zimbabwe at the rugby africa cup this yr. I dont believe that Dickie Hardwick is playing for Namibia. He has just moved from the English championship to France

 

[Cockatoo Run]

I found out a bit more. Staniforth and a schoolmate Isaac Rumble - who was called into the U20s as injury cover during the RC, and has been playing 2nd row in 1st grade for Sydney uni as a 19 year old - are both heading to France together. Rumble is playing for Provence.

Ollie Mccrea, currently with the Junior Wallabies in the 2nd row, and from Easts Colts, is also on his way to France immediately after this next game, with Stade Francais.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Surely, French clubs are not interested in these players for one year only. At this stage of their careers, they would be expected to be on a steep learning curve, not necessarily looking for immediate, one year only sugar hit. I reckon there's a good chance the best of them will earn long term contracts and will be eligible to play for France along the way.

 

[Wilson]

Surely, French clubs are not interested in these players for one year only. At this stage of their careers, they would be expected to be on a steep learning curve, not necessarily looking for immediate, one year only sugar hit. I reckon there's a good chance the best of them will earn long term contracts and will be eligible to play for France along the way.

Ideally yes, but I think they mostly just want grist for the mill. A few making it out the other end better for the experience and sticking around is a bonus, but they've got the money and the squad space to chew a lot them up and spit them out along the way.

 

[Members Section]

I think the rhetoric of the players having to play in Australia is a slowly dying one & only held by old white mean who are scared of change that has already happened

The Top14 is by far & away the best competition in the world & the money compared to srpac reflects that. A rugby player going to France needs to be celebrated like a basketballer going to the nba or a footballer going to one of the big Europe.

Ollie & Angus have a much higher ceiling going to France & if they dont make it they can always come home. If RA snubs their noses at them there is plenty of nrl club that would take them.

 

[Adam84]

I think the rhetoric of the players having to play in Australia is a slowly dying one & only held by old white mean who are scared of change that has already happened

The Top14 is by far & away the best competition in the world & the money compared to srpac reflects that. A rugby player going to France needs to be celebrated like a basketballer going to the nba or a footballer going to one of the big Europe.

Ollie & Angus have a much higher ceiling going to France & if they dont make it they can always come home. If RA snubs their noses at them there is plenty of nrl club that would take them.

is there a rhetoric that players 'have' to play in Australia; it's only if they want to be eligible for the Wallabies, then they do. Making it a racial issue is disingenuous. I'd say a player's heritage plays a role in deciding whether to go overseas because some may still be eligible to play test rugby and experience events like the RWC through their parents/grandparents. Certainly, this applies to the Polynesian rugby community in Australia, but it also extends to the likes of Hansen and Dempsey when deciding on the merits of heading overseas.

I get what you're saying about celebrating the players going there, but the reality is the Top14 isn't comparable to NBA or Premier League though, even if you remove all the arguments about the gap in quality and level of competition one of the biggest factors the Top 14 it lacks the global appeal and reach that the NBA and Premier League do. Both NBA/Premier League invest heavily in marketing to generate a global presence, to the point they're cultural icons in their own right. For this reason, it's difficult to celebrate a player leaving as it means they have disappeared from exposure in Australia. In contrast, the NBA and Premier League celebrate and capitalise on this.

From an individual perspective, yeah absolutely going to France to play rugby is a great option for a whole variety of reasons.. I guess it depends on what individual priorities are though, which as fans is the hard thing to guage.

 

[Members Section]

is there a rhetoric that players 'have' to play in Australia; it's only if they want to be eligible for the Wallabies, then they do. Making it a racial issue is disingenuous. I'd say a player's heritage plays a role in deciding whether to go overseas because some may still be eligible to play test rugby and experience events like the RWC through their parents/grandparents. Certainly, this applies to the Polynesian rugby community in Australia, but it also extends to the likes of Hansen and Dempsey when deciding on the merits of heading overseas.

I get what you're saying about celebrating the players going there, but the reality is the Top14 isn't comparable to NBA or Premier League though, even if you remove all the arguments about the gap in quality and level of competition one of the biggest factors the Top 14 it lacks the global appeal and reach that the NBA and Premier League do. Both NBA/Premier League invest heavily in marketing to generate a global presence, to the point they're cultural icons in their own right. For this reason, it's difficult to celebrate a player leaving as it means they have disappeared from exposure in Australia. In contrast, the NBA and Premier League celebrate and capitalise on this.

From an individual perspective, yeah absolutely going to France to play rugby is a great option for a whole variety of reasons.. I guess it depends on what individual priorities are though, which as fans is the hard thing to guage.

Yes & supported by anyone who thinks this squad is remotely the right squad to pick. There are players in this squad who have been gifted international debuts not earnt. That's what aus a tours are for.

I get maybe not picking Richie Arnold as he played right up to the last week of the top 14. But anyone whose side missed finals or plays in Japan should have been representing their country not club rugby players.

 

[Tomthumb]

Yes & supported by anyone who thinks this squad is remotely the right squad to pick. There are players in this squad who have been gifted international debuts not earnt. That's what aus a tours are for.

I get maybe not picking Richie Arnold as he played right up to the last week of the top 14. But anyone whose side missed finals or plays in Japan should have been representing their country not club rugby players.

Problem with this is RA needs to try and make Super Rugby profitable (or at least not a money pit)

How exactly are they meant to do that with no Wallabies playing in Super Rugby and being forced into an even smaller TV rights deal than they currently have because of this?

 

[LeCheese]

I get maybe not picking Richie Arnold as he played right up to the last week of the top 14. But anyone whose side missed finals or plays in Japan should have been representing their country not club rugby players.

Keen to know who these club rugby players being parachuted into the Wobs are. Have we seen another Phil Kearns/Eddie Jones situation? Will we see Eddie Jones 2.0 moving into a coaching role and blowing up the Wobs in 2043?

 

[PhilClinton]

The Top14 is by far & away the best competition in the world & the money compared to srpac reflects that. A rugby player going to France needs to be celebrated like a basketballer going to the nba or a footballer going to one of the big Europe.

French rugby isn't even the same stratosphere in terms of global reach that the NBA and/or Premier League Football has.

Walk down the street and ask 10 randoms to provide a list of teams playing in the Top 14 and you'll be hard pressed to get anything, in fact I doubt many rugby fans here know more than 2-3 of the teams.

By contrast most sports fan in Australia across generations would be able to name more than handful of NBA or PL teams and likely the key players as well.

Hell even talking to the couple of frenchies I know and they're all eyes on the NBA at the moment with the number of French players coming through and that has a much larger hold on their sporting landscape than rugby.

 

[SouthernX]

French rugby isn't even the same stratosphere in terms of global reach that the NBA and/or Premier League Football has.

Walk down the street and ask 10 randoms to provide a list of teams playing in the Top 14 and you'll be hard pressed to get anything, in fact I doubt many rugby fans here know more than 2-3 of the teams.

By contrast most sports fan in Australia across generations would be able to name more than handful of NBA or PL teams and likely the key players as well.

Hell even talking to the couple of frenchies I know and they're all eyes on the NBA at the moment with the number of French players coming through and that has a much larger hold on their sporting landscape than rugby.

Off topic but elaborating your point - NBA is the most global sports league on the planet.

in regards to premier league, it’s not the quintessential soccer league as there’s a bunch of other leagues so the talent is dispersed between some powerhouse clubs playing in a mixture of different comps thru out Europe

 

[LevitatingSocks]

Off topic but elaborating your point - NBA is the most global sports league on the planet.

in regards to premier league, it’s not the quintessential soccer league as there’s a bunch of other leagues so the talent is dispersed between some powerhouse clubs playing in a mixture of different comps thru out Europe

Depends on how you measure global reach. NBA or cricket could be the biggest based on raw numbers due to China or India, but the premier league probably has the widest geographic distribution of fans.

 

[SouthernX]

Depends on how you measure global reach. NBA or cricket could be the biggest based on raw numbers due to China or India, but the premier league probably has the widest geographic distribution of fans.

PLEASE NOTE: elaborating my point - i was assuming English premier league and not the cricket premier league.

original point was French rugby being the pinnacle of rugby comps a pro player could reach (which is not true) the Japanese top league would like a word.

every man and his dog hoops if he is elite will end up in the nba… but an upcoming star prodigy soccer player has a plethora of options to choose from premier league, Spanish league etc

 

[half]

There is a line of through that creating structures that develop players to move overseas to further their career and possibility earn more money, actually encourages more people to look at playing in such a development program. The thinking goes I too could go overseas and earn more.

Meaning allowing players to develop and move actually gets more quality in, which is what the current system aims to do.

 

[Hogie]

I am all for young Australian players going abroad to gain experience and ultimately come back better players. What i am against is the ridiculously lax WR (World Rugby) eligibility laws and how countries incentivise to become eligible by the residency method- more aimed at Japan. In 10 years time I fear that the best 15 Australian players will be playing for other nations.

 

[Members Section]

Keen to know who these club rugby players being parachuted into the Wobs are. Have we seen another Phil Kearns/Eddie Jones situation? Will we see Eddie Jones 2.0 moving into a coaching role and blowing up the Wobs in 2043?

there are 7 + hookers that should have been selected ahead of Nasser. He does not deserve a wallaby cap. The exact same can be said about Blyth & 2nd row options

 

[Adam84]

there are 7 + hookers that should have been selected ahead of Nasser. He does not deserve a wallaby cap. The exact same can be said about Blyth & 2nd row options

Go on, name them... who are these 7 hookers that are fit and aren't in the squad currently.