Sabbatical for NZ's World Cup winners
New Zealand’s two most prominent World Cup winners, captain Richie McCaw and flyhalf Dan Carter, may soon head to play in Italy.
According to a report from Fairfax NZ, McCaw and Carter could be on their way to Benetton Treviso on five-month sabbatical contracts at the end of this year.
A number of top Italian newspapers have also reported on the story, which would see these two All Black stars join a club that plays in the Pro12 – formerly known as the Celtic League – alongside other top teams from Ireland, Wales and Scotland.
New Zealand’s Sunday Star-Times contacted the management company for Carter and McCaw, the Essentially Group, who said they hadn’t heard anything from Treviso, but the Italian stories say that the club’s President Amerino Zatta and general manager Vittorio Munari are working on putting together a deal.
Carter and McCaw are signed to the NZRU until 2015 but both have options to take sabbaticals written into their contracts.
While McCaw has never taken a sabbatical, Carter did in 2009 and spent half a season with French side Perpignan, but only got to play a few games for the side before rupturing his Achilles.
La Tribuna di Treviso reported that in an issue of the Air New Zealand in-flight magazine KiaOra Carter has in the past spoken of his admiration for Treviso, in the north-east of Italy.
The Benetton club, owned by the multinational clothing company, anticipates it would cost a €1-million (NZ$1.62m) each for Carter and McCaw.
The likes of John Kirwan, Michael Lynagh and Craig Green have played for the club and, more recently, former Crusader Joe Maddock.
Benetton Treviso joined the Pro12 two years ago and are seen as the Italian side best equipped to challenge Munster, Leinster, the Ospreys and Cardiff Blues in this competition.
