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Overseas riches beginning to outweigh the Black jersey as 'players wise up' - Lima Sopoaga

Lima Sopoaga on debut for Wasps. (Getty Images/ Photo by David Rogers)

Ex-All Black Lima Sopoaga has spoken out about the waning pull of the Black jersey and how younger players are making wiser business decisions about their playing future in a startling interview with The Daily Mail.

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Sopoaga, a recent addition to Wasps, believes more New Zealand players will follow the path of Charles Piutau as the lure of overseas riches outweighs the importance of playing for the All Blacks.

“I do think that things are starting to change and players are starting to wise up,” he said.

“They realise that it’s a business these days. When you’ve got it, you’ve got it, but when you don’t, clubs aren’t going to be afraid to cut you.

The 27-year-old flyhalf believes that players are talking more and more about their situations with each other, which has influenced how they make contracting decisions.

”For players these days, a lot of us are starting to talk to each other more and talk about experiences and about how we can benefit from the game, because it is a business and it can be pretty cut-throat. That’s the way it is. Players are starting to wise up to that.

This is a trend that Sopoaga sees continuing, with more New Zealand players in their mid-20’s heading offshore.

”I think it is a pattern. For a lot of guys like myself, who come from big families, from low socio-economic backgrounds, the chance to change your family’s life is pretty overwhelming. It’s not something you should take lightly.

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”Sometimes the jersey is not enough for a better life. It is special when you do get it, the experiences you do have are pretty surreal, but down the track those things don’t pay for a roof over your head.”

He explained how his perspective changed since becoming a father with his own young family now the number one priority.

”For me, having my daughter changed things – how I looked at rugby, how I looked at life. Having her, the picture was changed; where I wanted to head, what I wanted to do, how I wanted to set up my future. Rugby isn’t forever, it can all be taken away from you, that all came into consideration.

”Every kid growing up in New Zealand wants to be part of the All Blacks. It is pretty special, but at the same time, it was time to try something else. I made peace with the decision.”

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SteveD 1 hour ago
Bulls book Leinster URC showdown but injury to Springbok tarnishes win

Dear heaven, what a pathetic and embarrassing game of rugby. As a Sharks supporter back in the wonderful Ian Mac days, I was even hoping, for SA rugby’s sake, that the hated Bulls would win so that they might at least give Leinster a bit of a game, but frankly, when a team almost has three players in the sinbin at the same time, then I imagine I might not be able to stand watching them get thrashed in Dublin next Saturday evening if they carry out the same Northern Transvaal stupidity of the old days. WTF did they think they were doing?


As for the Sharks, there's maybe a light at the end of the tunnel however, if they just follow my advice. I haven't watched their recent games but now I see where their problems lie. Three of them in fact. Firstly, get rid of Plumtree for - at the minimum - selecting reasons (2) and (3). Secondly and thirdly, get rid of the Hendrikse brothers. Who on earth thinks that those two are top quality rugby players needs to be in an asylum, or they'll likely send a lot of the Sharks supporters there instead, if they haven't already. They are useless - I mean, FFS, the so-called flyhalf can't even select boots that don't slip when he's taking multiple placekicks (to say stuffall about trying to put penalty kicks from 60 metres over - and failing - when a freaking lineout might have produced a try, even if he missed the conversion) - and I can now see why the team of ‘real’ Boks are doing so badly, having two idiots at scrumhalf and flyhalf. If they stay in the squad, Sharks supporters should rather cash in their season tickets and go watch the best English-speaking (and sixth all-round overall) SA rugby team, Westville Boys High, than suffer so much pain at King's Park.

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J
JW 3 hours ago
Broken hand or not, Richie Mo'unga is still New Zealand's best 10

I agree that he chose to go - but when he was starting for the All Blacks and it was clear that Scott Roberston was going to be the coach in 2024

That’s not the case at all. There was huge fear that the continued delaying was going to cause Robertson to go. That threat resulted in the unpresented act of appointing a new coach, after Richie had left I made add that I recall, during a WC cycle.

Mo’unga was finally going to get the chance to prove he was the better 10 all along - then he decides to go to Japan.

Again, No. He did that without Razor (well maybe he played a part from within the Crusaders environment) needing to be the coach.

He’d probably already earned 3-4 million at that stage. The NZRU would’ve given him the best contract they could’ve, probably another million or more a year.

Do some googling and take a look at the timelines. That idea you have is a big fallacy.

I also agree to those who say that Hansen and Foster never really gave Mo’unga a fair go. They both only gave Mo’unga a real shot when it was clear their preferred 10’s weren’t achieving/available; they chucked him in the deep end at RWC 2019, and Foster only gave him a real shot in 2022 when Foster was about to be dropped mid-season.

That’s the right timeline. But I’d suggest it was just unfortunate Mo’unga (2019), they probably would have built into him more appropriately but Dmac got injured and Barrett switched to fullback. Maybe not the best decisions those, Hansen was making clangers all over the show, but yeah, there was also the fact Barrett was on millions so became ‘automatic’, but even before then I thought Richie would have been the better player.


Yep Reihana in 2026, and Love in 2025! I don’t think Richie had anything to prove, this whole number 1 thing is bogus.

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