No exceptions for Hayman
22 Apr 2010
The New Zealand Rugby Union have confirmed Carl Hayman will not play in the 2011 World Cup.
The former All Blacks tighthead recently signed a lucrative deal with French club Toulon even though the NZRU wanted him back in the country ahead of the global tournament. Hayman said he hoped the NZRU would make an exception by selecting him, as the Kiwis traditionally don’t pick overseas-based players.
NZRU chief executive Steve Tew told stuff.co.nz there won’t be any exceptions.
‘We think there’s just too much at stake to open the door for players to be in Europe, to be playing their day-to-day rugby outside of our environment,’ Tew said. ‘Right now we’ve got a very firm view the risk is too great. I can’t prove it, and no one knows for sure. It’s a judgment call. But there’s so much of a risk we are firm if you want to wear the All Black jersey you play in New Zealand.
‘Once you’ve made exception, you’ve broken the rule.’
Luke McAlister played for the All Blacks last year before spending time with his province, but Tew said no rule was broken. They need players committing to New Zealand rugby before considering them for the national side.
‘We didn’t make an exception bringing Luke back, we just exercised a regulation we’d put in place. Some might argue it didn’t work.’
17 Comments
22 Apr 2010, 12:32 pm
sad news for kiwis
22 Apr 2010, 12:33 pm
We could use this dragon.
But I agree totally with the principle at stake.
Select only players supporting the local game.
22 Apr 2010, 13:27 pm
Carl Who’man ?
22 Apr 2010, 13:32 pm
bad news for kiwis.
carl is a monster.
bad news for me and other rugby fans too, i always want to see the best square off.
but i do see why nz have stood firm. carl thought he would call their bluff but it backfired bigtime!
22 Apr 2010, 13:58 pm
Those Kiwis have really bought the farm now… or not
22 Apr 2010, 14:03 pm
Toulon must have bought him a wine estate. Swapping sheep for wine, now there’s a clever kiwi.
22 Apr 2010, 15:42 pm
carl “moneybags” hayman
22 Apr 2010, 16:21 pm
bad for the game this ,bad for talent development in nh and bad for countries with small player pools to draw from …
22 Apr 2010, 16:38 pm
@baw:
so 100% true too
We want ALL the best players of every nation, in peak condition, available for this RWC, and every RWC.
Those days ended in 1995. Since then Samoa, Argentina – to name but 2 – have not truly been represented in Tests or RWCs. Professional rugby has been both the rebirth and death of footy.
Bugger it.
23 Apr 2010, 00:13 am
Argentina have no restrictions on picking foreign-based players for the Pumas, nor do Samoa, and neither do any other countries other than the Sanzar trio. Their only restrictions are IRB eligibility rules which apply to all countries.
23 Apr 2010, 00:46 am
@Black Panther: Samoa and Argentina have been ‘truly represented’ at RWCs, that’s why Argentina finished 3rd beating France twice and NZ were 7th/8th or w/e
23 Apr 2010, 01:19 am
@TheTackler:
a pity, then, that the French and English clubs that own them dont always necessarily agree.
@Big Hit:
and isnt it a joy to watch the first dispute, of many, between French clubs and the RFU over the release of their players. Atleast the NZ Maori can still get a game these days, altho it does make it hard to distinguish England from a Common’wealth XV.
23 Apr 2010, 05:27 am
@TheTackler: They sure can pick them, but getting them released is another matter!
It boils down to the same thing, they cannot field their best sides. Which is a pity.
23 Apr 2010, 05:33 am
@baw: You make some good points.
Imagine how much stronger the S14 competition would be if the SH players actually played in the S14/15.
Of course reality is totally different, economics dictates in rugby, as it does in any other profession.
23 Apr 2010, 08:22 am
When I was a kid a bunch of old cronies ran the NZRU and rugby was being taken out of the mine light by Rugby League. The short sited powers wanted to keep amateur rugby and it took some replacements to turn things around (and Superleague
).
Seems like we are full circle with new cronies
24 Apr 2010, 01:11 am
The money will always be over this side of the world and hey thats great for the players earning the money, but its not helping our game here in the NH. Our rugby has been deteriorating for 7 years now and it is not been addressed by the powers to be, over here its the clubs that wield all the power and they couldnt a toss about the state of the international game.
yes we won the cup in 03 and made a final but hey stats dont lie:
6 world cups played and only 1 winner from the NH, for gods sake the all blacks have now played 9 games on the trot over here without one of the 6 nations teams manageing to score a try against them!!! that 720 mins of rugby and we cant contruct one try between any of the teams !!!, says it all really.
my dream is for some of our young players to come down and play super 14 and learn how to run and pass and draw a man!
24 Apr 2010, 03:39 am
Great post West. Not sure we can fill 15 quality sides so start sending some
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.