Super Rugby imports: 7 northern hemisphere players heading south
For the longest time, Super Rugby has been a league that exports talent as opposed to importing it, but a slew of recent transfers suggests that more Northern Hemisphere players are looking are the league as a potential destination.
Although it's traditionally not been as lucrative a market for professional rugby players, it's still very much seen as the most skilful league in the world where imported players can both prove their worth and upskill simultaneously.
There have been pioneers of course down through the years; the likes of Danny Cipriani, James Haskell, Joe Marchant, Geoff Parling, Gareth Delve and more recently Freddy Burns have all bucked the trend by heading south.
Now a new cohort of northern hemisphere rugby talent is swimming upstream to Down Under.
Indeed, Super Rugby Pacific squads have made a total of six international Test players signings. These include headliners like Wales internationals Leigh Halfpenny (Crusaders) and Rhys Patchell, as well as southern hemisphere import Martin Bogado. The Argentina fullback is heading into his second season at the Highlanders.
Former Exeter Chiefs and England nine Jack Maunder is Australia-bound, having signed for the Melbourne Rebels. Maunder earned a cap back in 2017 under Eddie Jones and is presumably looking to re-ignite his career in a different environment.
He isn't the only English man involved, with former Saracens prop Hayden Thompson Stringer signing for the neighbouring Waratahs.
The imports list also includes the likes of ex-Gloucester stalwart, Tom Savage. The 34-year-old second row has been signed to Moana Pasifika from Suntory in Japan.
Meanwhile, the Queensland Reds have also signed rookie Irish lock Cormac Daly. A former Clontarf player based in Australia, Daly takes up a one-year contract with the Reds after impressing with Randwick in the Shute Shield.
While he grew up in Australia and came through its rugby pathway, English-born winger Harry Potter is returning to Aussie soil from Leicester Tigers, where he impressed across three seasons, scoring 20 tries in 67 appearances as he cast a spell over defenders in the Gallagher Premiership.
While the overall direction of travel is still very much pointed north and will doubtless continue thus, it's certainly refreshing to see more players moving in the opposite.
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All of these media pundits always miss the obvious whenever they analyse what is ailing or assisting the game. Rugby always has contentious points for debate when picking apart individual games and finding fault with itself. All this focus and scrutiny on “speeding up the game”, “high ball in play” etc is all contextual to the fan. As a tv viewer, if you’re absorbed into a game, regardless if your team is playing or not, more ball in play time and action are all byproducts of the contest. A good contest subliminally affects your memory in selectively remembering all the good aspects. A poor contest and your brain has switched off because its a blowout and the result is never in doubt or it’s a real chore to watch and remain engaged throughout. The URC, Top 14 and English premiership are all competitions that feel like there’s real jeopardy each week. The dominance of Super rugby by NZ teams was unhealthy from a sustainable interest perspective. You can’t fault those teams or the players, but the lack of competitions won by SA and Australian teams long term was always going to test the faith and patience of die-hard and casual fans from those regions. SANZAR took their eye off the fans and fans voted with their feet and subscriptions. They were so concerned about expanding their product they forgot the golden rule about broadcasting live sport. Viewers tune in more when there’s an atmosphere and a true contest. You need to fill stadiums to create one, host unions need to do more to service ticket buyers, and this year proves the other, there’s more interest in Super rugby this year only because more games are competitive with less foregone conclusions. All these micro statistics bandied about, only interest the bean counters and trainspotters.
Go to commentsIt’s a good, timely wake up call for NZ Rugby (seem to be a few of them lately!) - sort out the bureaucratic nonsense at board level. We can’t expect to stay the number one option without keeping fans/players engaged. We’ve obviously been bleeding players to league for years but can’t let the floodgates open (although I think this headline is hyperbolic as it’s a result of a recent Warriors pathways system where they are tracking things more closely) Understand the need to focus boys on rugby if they’re at a proud rugby school too, don’t think it’s harsh at all re Barakat in Hamilton. Reward the committed players with squad positions. An elite 1st XV system in NZ has done more for league than they even realise, think it’s good to protect our game further.
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