When it comes to international rugby, quite a few countries have opted to implement rather strict policies when it comes to selection at test level.
For many, that essentially boils down to only selecting players who play their club rugby inside of that nation. The likes of Ireland, New Zealand, and England have gone down this route in recent years.
By encouraging players to spend their careers on home soil, it should ensure that the club scene remains strong in that country. It also gives the national rugby unions more control over their players, especially in Ireland where the playing time of test stars is carefully managed.
Of course, you also run the risk of excluding some top quality players from your selection pool if they opt to move abroad.
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Former All Blacks captain against changing New Zealand selection policy
New Zealand have long followed this selection policy, although some would like to see it changed. That includes current captain Sam Cane, who recently joined Japanese club Tokyo Sungoliath.
However, he will be available for the All Blacks in 2024 after penning a short-term deal that will see him return to his homeland before next summer. The player himself has admitted that he would likely have signed a longer deal had it not ruled him out of the reckoning for New Zealand.
Having linked up with South African winger Cheslin Kolbe at the club, he would go on to suggest that perhaps New Zealand should look to follow the Springboks' lead in allowing their internationals to play overseas.
Not everyone would agree with that suggestions.
Speaking to AM, former All Blacks captain Kieran Read said that such a move would only serve to kill New Zealand rugby at both club and test level in the long run.
From my point of view, I don’t think New Zealand Rugby, the All Blacks or anyone could survive if we end up going down that route, just yet.
We need our guys playing in New Zealand. We need a strong competition that’s getting fans along to games, getting them engaged, keeping them engaged here in New Zealand.
We can’t be doing that if we’re off playing around the world...
The seasons don’t quite align. We’ve seen in South Africa, although it can work for them in some ways, they end up playing literally all year round because there’s no break between the international and club season.
I don’t see it happening right now, I don’t think it needs to.
Certainly, the opportunities to have sabbaticals and stuff is going to keep the guys in New Zealand a bit longer, I hope.
It would certainly be a monumental shift for New Zealand to consider such a move and you imagine that the authorities would be hesitant to sanction it given the effects it could have on club rugby in the country.
For now, the likes of Same Cane will have to content with signing short-term deals if they want to continue their international careers.
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