Carter takes five! Heads North for Six Months.

[O'Rothlain]

<div class='quotemain'> Why can't they have their cake and eat it too?
Why are so many of you comfortable with that? Strictly talking National Team Eligibility, why can't players play outside their home union proffesionally as other nations? No one (I Feel) has put forward a good argument.
[/b]

I'm not going to bother with too detailed a response to this, as it seems you don't listen every bit as much as you say others don't. For just one example of a multitude of reasons, read esoj's comment.

Can you not understand? The Super 14 is one of our biggest revenue sources. Our competition will have even less ability to negotiate for more and in fact will be offered less if we don't have quality star-type players in our game down here. We then won't be able to pay even more players, and so it will go.

It's supreme arrogance to say that this isn't a problem and that there are "easy" answers. If we let as many players as want to go over to the UK/France/Japan, we will have at least 3 times the number of players leave. Our nation has 4 million people. It's impossible to sustain a loss like that.

So to answer your question, if we allow that, then players will see a different pathway to the All Blacks and get to it via an overseas career. That will kill our domestic game's quality at Super 14 & ANZC due to our quality players all leaving 2years into their career. It will also ruin the All Blacks as players will not have as much time together to form a cohesive unit.

I'm wasting my breath though. No reason will be enough. Your not here and you don't care if the All Blacks cease to be a major world rugby force. You have no reason to care and every reason to want to support the comps you follow. Supporting the financially strong against the gradually weakening.

Financial victory for other nations. What a bunch of heroes! [/b][/quote]
I get that. So, it seems like Rugby in NZ is at an awkward stand-off.

 

[C A Iversen]

Thank goodness, O'Rothlain. You are one of the few people who are not so rigid in your views and I love that. You do listen to people and it's awesome. You do raise some good points though.

As far as I know, not many in NZ are blaming the NH clubs personally. I'm quite sure we can see that what they are doing is what they are entitled to do. I think NZ just wants some kind of fair legal protection against excessive departures. I honestly think a transfer fee type arrangement as stated earlier would fix a lot and give both parties a win.

 

[Prestwick]

The bottom line is that unless there is serious investment in terms of selling off the Super 14 franchises, scaling back the NPC, etc then New Zealand will be buggered if they don't select players abroad and just as buggered if they do.

If New Zealand manages to hold back the tide of the modern labour market then that will be a historic event. The fact is that the player drain will continue, simple as that.

 

[C A Iversen]

Without the sanction and implementation of a transfer market based on a contract that puts a value on players development, then yes, you are right. There has to be a way to benefit both interests, and to be fair the abilities that are being traded were totally developed by the NZ system from day one of playing rugby. We need to have these contracts pursued.

There'll be many who won't sign them at first, (already developed talent with an eye on the market), but all those wanting to one day be All Blacks should.

 

[Prestwick]

I'm perfectly sure that if there were privately run Super 14 franchises/clubs in New Zealand then New Zealand players would be able to have compensation packages competitive with those 'oop north.

The only way to fight the market is to play its game against itself. I have full confidence that the Sheep Barons of New Zealand could pull off such a feat.

 

[C A Iversen]

Cattle barons, you not aware that the number of sheep in New Zealand is 20% what it used to be? Dairy farming is almost choking the sheep industry. Anyhow, we'll see how things go.

 

[Prestwick]

But...but...New Zealand lamb?!