Kiwis 'embrace' Euro exodus
The New Zealand Rugby Union are expecting an unprecedented exodus after the 2015 World Cup, but there is no sign of panic.
In fact NZRU Chief Executive Steve Tew is 'embracing' the expected departure of senior players.
His reaction, in the wake of the announcement that Dan Carter will move to French club Racing Metro, speaks volumes of the administrative professionalism that drives the Kiwis.
Tew admits Carter's departure, on a three-year deal after next year's World Cup, may be just the tip of the iceberg.
However, he is very blaze about being comfortable with the situation.
"There's a group that almost self-selects," Tew told a media conference, when asked about other players likely to follow Carter out the exit door.
"They're coming towards the end of careers and they're all going through the same process as Dan has - is it possible to go play somewhere else? Is it going to motivate me? Is it what I want?
"We've got the door wide open for any conversations. The good thing is many are quite well advanced in their thinking and they'll announce those things when they're ready."
Tew said he wanted to have the futures of all his veteran All Blacks confirmed well ahead of the World Cup. It was something that needed to be done.
"We made it really clear leading into 2011 that's what we wanted," he said.
"That was one of the lessons from '07, when we had too many distractions. We're not going to allow that to happen again, and the announcement around Steve [Hansen's contract extension] is part of that strategy.
"Ultimately, these players have got to make their own decisions, and we can't
"But Dan and Richie [McCaw] are part of a really strong leadership group who all put the team first. Part of that will be getting organised as quickly as we can and be well advanced before we go to Apia."
The likes of skipper McCaw, midfielders Ma'a Nonu and Conrad Smith, veteran front row forwards Tony Woodcock and Keven Mealamu, loose forwards Jerome Kaino and Liam Messam and even Ben Franks, Cory Jane and Charlie Faumuina could also be considering high-paying, late-career stints overseas.
Tew made it clear that a clean-out of veteran All Blacks would not throw any sort of a wrench into coach Steve Hansen's works for 2016 and beyond.
Succession planning, he said, was a big part of the thinking at head office.
"I'd like to think we're well advanced in that regard," Tew said.
"If you look at some of the talent backing up some of these jerseys, they'd probably now be 30, 40 or 50 Tests in any other country.
"Sam Cane would have played a lot of Tests for any other country, but clearly he doesn't get a chance.
"We're in pretty good shape. We've known for a long time there is a group of players likely to leave us at the end of the 2015 World Cup, and hopefully we can see them depart in a nice way.
"That will be the key driver, and in a way one last piece of motivation that might be helpful."
Source: Stuff.co.nz
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