All Blacks' new post-World Cup trend
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Not only will All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen depart from the national side, but most of his senior players have revealed their post-World Cup aspirations.
Kieran Read and Ryan Crotty have become the latest stars to reveal that they would want to ply their trade outside New Zealand following the World Cup 2019.
At first Read was offered a contract by French club, however, according to Stuff, France’s daily sports newspaper L’Equipe reported that Read would not be joining Paris side Racing 92 for the 2019-20 season and was now likely to join a Japanese club.
According to reports Read has been linked with Verblitz and Crotty is set to join Kubota Spears.
Currently, World Cup-winning coach Jake White is the head coach of Verblitz, while Frans Ludeke is coaching the Kubota Spears.
Stuff also reported that Aaron Smith and Dane Coles could follow them to Japan, which seems to have become the latest trend in New Zealand rugby.
New Zealand senior players have always opted go to France following the World Cup. In 2015 Aaron Cruden, Malakai Fekitoa, Julian Savea, Jerome Kaino, Liam Messam and Tawera Kerr-Barlow all headed to France.
But lately, Japan have become the prefered destination.
According to Stuff, the latest trend could stem from the lesser physical demands and All Blacks’ flyhalf Dan Carter’s success in winning the Japan Top League title with the Kobelco Steelers after leaving Racing 92.
The other stars reportedly linked to clubs abroad following the World Cup are the likes of Beauden Barrett, Ben Smith and Nehe Milner-Skudder.
Source: Stuff
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