Ardie Savea voices support for overseas All Blacks' eligibility

By Kris Shannon

Ardie Savea believes the All Blacks’ eligibility rules need to change – or New Zealand rugby risks being left behind.

The loose forward is currently enjoying a “refreshing” stint with Kobe Steelers, having headed to Japan after being crowned the world’s best player.

Savea will return to New Zealand before the All Blacks’ test programme begins, confirming his availability for the opening match of the season against England on July 6.

But a trio of teammates who otherwise would likely have earned selection – Richie Mo’unga and Shannon Frizell in Japan and Leicester Fainga’anuku in France – were confirmed absentees owing to the team’s long-standing eligibility requirements.

While South Africa edged the All Blacks to win the World Cup with only 15 of their 33-man squad playing domestically, New Zealand Rugby has been resistant to such a change in policy.

New coach Scott Robertson said when taking charge he wanted those in power to “keep an open mind” about a potential alteration, and Savea went even further.

The 30-year-old, who could become captain under Robertson, felt a relaxation of eligibility rules would be beneficial for the players, team and game as a whole.

“Times are changing. Things are moving fast,” Savea said. “What worked five, 10, 15 years ago maybe can’t work now. We’ve just got to be innovative and smart around what we’re doing.

“The country that’s proven that it works, that it helps, is South Africa. The majority of their team’s playing [offshore] and they come together and win the World Cup. I don’t think it’s going to change drastically, but I just think that something needs to evolve and grow.

“Maybe it’s the new coaching group and new management that’s coming in and bringing fresh ideas, that could be it.”

Savea was unsure what those ideas would entail, but Rugby Australia has offered a few examples. After introducing Giteau’s law in 2015, the policy has twice been amended and now allows three overseas-based players to represent the Wallabies if they boast a minimum of 30 test caps and/or five seasons of Super Rugby.

Mo’unga and Frizell tick both boxes while Fainga’anuku meets the latter, but Savea was not seeking a short-term boost to the team. Instead, he warned that New Zealand’s perennial status as the leaders in world rugby could be undermined if the game remained insular.

“It’s scary how much the world’s evolving and the game’s evolving in different countries,” he said. “I think that’s the best thing about being out of New Zealand – I’m playing against guys from South Africa; Pacific Island boys that are from Tonga, Samoa; the Japanese brothers; Aussie brothers.

“I’m playing against a different variety of players, different styles, which has been refreshing and awesome. Where in New Zealand, you’re just playing against the New Zealand teams and Aussie teams.”

Savea was quick to discount the notion that sabbaticals were little more than working holidays, saying the chasm wasn’t vast between Super Rugby and Japan Rugby League One. If an individual wanted to play their way into the All Blacks frame, after all, a benchmark had to be met.

“You could easily come here and drop your standards and just go about footy,” he said. “But it’s all up to the individual, whether they want to be the best or still be the best or challenge themselves to be the best.

“So I know for myself, it doesn’t matter where I play, hopefully I am growing and seeking feedback from coaches to better my game and be better. But the rugby here in Japan is pretty up there. It’s bloody good footy.

“Damn, they can play. They can tackle. My legs have never been chopped so many times than over here in Japan.”

If his legs haven’t been rested, Savea has found the benefits immeasurable for his mind. Rather than burning out from the yearly grind of Super Rugby, his passion has reignited.

“I didn’t know what I was getting into coming to Japan. I just thought, I’ve played 10 seasons of Super Rugby and wanted to try something different. Now I’ve been here, I’m like, damn, I needed this.

“Because I would have gone back to Super Rugby, done the same thing, and I’m so familiar with everything. Without even knowing, being here now has been so refreshing.

“It’s made me real grateful for what I have in New Zealand – and here. It’s made me wanna do my best here, but it’s made me also wanna come back to New Zealand and really give it a crack.

“I know sometimes after Super season you feel drained, you’re tired, you go to an All Blacks campaign. Whereas here, I’m itching my feet now to finish on a high then get back home and rip into it.”

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission