It's fair to say that Leinster announcing the future signing of Jordie Barrett has sent shockwaves throughout the world of rugby.
The All Blacks superstar will sign for the province on a short-term deal during the 2024/25 season, adding to what is already an incredibly talented squad. It is certainly quite a coup for the the Irish side, who had previously bolstered their squad for next season with RG Snyman set to arrive from Munster.
Of course, not everyone have greeted this news with a positive reaction.
Supporters of the other three provinces have questioned an Irish rugby system that has allowed Leinster to add Barrett to what is already a world class squad, especially when some of their own teams are facing uncertain short-term futures. As well as that, rugby fans in other countries have suggested that this signing is an example of Leinster's unfair financial advantage.
In short, the news has largely been met with a negative reaction outside of the province itself.
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Exeter boss gives his take on Leinster signing Jordie Barrett
Jordie Barrett will be a massive addition to Leinster, even if it is only for a short period of time. While many see his signing as an unfair one, one English Premiership coach has pushed against that narrative.
When asked about news, Exeter coach Rob Baxter said that other teams should look at Leinster as an example of how a club should be run and aim to emulate their success in the future.
If Irish rugby, Leinster and the United Rugby Championship can get their house in order to allow them to invest in players, their programme and their coaches like they do, you have to say fair play.
My response would be, ‘let’s not try to say it’s not fair and limit Leinster, let’s look to ways we can get to that level of competition with them’.
You can look around and say, ‘let’s stop everyone else doing it because we can’t do it’. Or you go, ‘what are they doing to develop that level of interest and finance and why can’t we do it?’.
I don’t think it’s bad for these competitions to have world-class players. What we want to find out is ways that we can do it as well.
You have to work to make the competition look attractive and the way the game is played look attractive.
To get that deal in place to sign a player you have to get a lot of financial bits and pieces right – and that runs right from the top of the game to the bottom in the country.
There’s a lot we have to do to get to that level, but why shouldn’t we be aiming for it? That’s what we should be trying to do.
It is true that Leinster do have certain other advantages over many other clubs, especially when it comes to aspects such as the IRFU's central contract model and the school system within the province.
In saying that, there has been some incredible work done over the last decade or so to ensure that the team find themselves in the position that they are currently in.
They are certainly a side that other rugby teams could look to learn from.
SEE ALSO: Ulster's Links To Former All Black Highlight Huge Gulf With Leinster
