The rugby world went into meltdown yesterday when Leinster announced that they had signed Jordie Barrett. Just days after dismantling back-to-back champions La Rochelle in the Champions Cup many, if they didn't already, now have Leinster as favourites to win the whole thing.
They have a stacked roster with Irish internationals in pretty much every position so it's fair to say that Leinster didn't need an All Black like Jordie Barrett to come in.
Interestingly, a report from New Zealand has come out saying Barrett had some very lucrative offers to consider and he still he chose to join Leinster for his sabbatical.
In a report from Liam Nappier of the New Zealand Herald, it is reported that Japanese side Toyota Verblitz had tabled a considerable offer for Jordie to move to Japan.
Toyota already have Jordie's brother Beauden Barrett on the books as well as Aaron Smith and former World Cup winning All Blacks coach Steve Hansen as Director of Rugby. They also have Springbok Pieter-Steph de Toit in what is a stacked roster in its own right.
The terms of Barrett's move to Leinster are not known, and while he's not being paid peanuts, it's been reported he took less money in order to come to Ireland for six months.
His brother Beauden - who's five years his senior - reportedly joined Toyota for $1.5 million in 2020, which is an indicator of the wages that are on offer in Japan.
Many All Blacks have taken up a sabbatical option when re-signing with the All Blacks like Jordie but unlike Jordie they've chosen to move to Japan. The likes of Ardie Savea, Damian McKenzie and Sam Cane among many others have taken the option to go to Japan to earn more money and play in a less demanding league.
However Jordie chose to come over to Ireland and speaking to the Leinster website on the move he cited the years he spent on a dairy farm in Meath in the early 2000's as a reason why he chose to join Leinster.
Ireland is a special place for the Barrett family. We’ve got so many great family connections in Oldcastle, in County Meath and throughout Dublin. To have an opportunity to go back and meet some family and friends and connections that were made twenty years ago is pretty cool.
Even if it's only four six months, Jordie Barrett joining Leinster has to be one of the most exciting signings to Irish rugby for a long time.Barrett will become the first All Black to head to Europe on sabbatical since Dan Carter joined Perpignan in 2009.
At only 27 Barrett is still in his prime physically and can offer so much to Leinster with his on field performance as well as lending his knowledge to the likes of Jamie Osborne, Sam Prendergast and the next generation coming through.
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