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'An offer that can't feed my family': Kiwi-born Wales international shares emotional contract situation

(Photo by Ian Cook/CameraSport via Getty Images)

Former Hurricane turned Wales international Willis Halaholo has shared emotional details of his contract situation that may force him to leave Wales after suffering a freak injury.

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Auckland-born and raised Halaholo, who moved to Wales in 2016 to join the Cardiff Blues, hasn’t played since October and has been nursing a hamstring issue.

The midfielder was ready to return to action against Ulster this weekend but has been struck down with a series Achilles injury which will see him sidelined for up to a year.

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Halaholo’s current contract with Cardiff expires in the summer meaning he will have to potentially find a new club while recovering from the injury.

The ex-pat Kiwi is devastated after he received an offer from Cardiff that ‘won’t even be enough to feed my family’.

He revealed that he also turned down offers last October to go overseas but felt he had more to offer Wales after being capped in 2021.

The 32-year-old expressed that he doesn’t know ‘how much more’ he can take as he faces dark times. He took to Twitter to share his story.

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The thread continued: “Then getting an offer that won’t even be enough to feed my family.

“Pay reduction I was willing [to take] because of the love I have for the club and also the the feeling of unfinished business in the red jersey knowing I haven’t been given that proper chance to show I can truly add.

“But I can’t accept an offer that can’t even feed my family on a month-to-month basis… regrets running through my mind as I turned offers to go abroad back in Oct in the hopes of still representing both jerseys.

“But now I’m hating myself because this situation we are in.

“The worst part is knowing my coach wants to keep me but the money doesn’t add up and would mean we would be stretched and struggle to provide for the kids.

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“Not only that but now I have to wait and have hope that someone will pick up an injured player.”

Halaholo has played 91 times for Cardiff since joining seven years ago and debuted for Wales in 2021 after becoming eligible under the residency rules, but didn’t rule out a return to New Zealand as an option following this situation.

His story is just one of many as out-of-contract Cardiff players face uncertainty around their future amid major cost-cutting in Welsh rugby, but Halaholo’s injury puts him in a perilous position compared to others.

Cardiff Rugby is set to shed £2m in player salaries as they trim down to a £5.2m budget next season as squad sizes shrink from 46 to roughly 38.

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J
JW 1 hour ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Where? I remember saying "unders"? The LNR was formed by the FFR, if I said that in a way that meant the 'pro' side of the game didn't have an equal representation/say as the 'amateur' side (FFR remit) that was not my intent.


But also, as it is the governing body, it also has more responsibility. As long as WR looks at FFR as the running body for rugby in France, that 'power' will remain. If the LNR refuses to govern their clubs use of players to enable a request by FFR (from WR) to ensure it's players are able to compete in International rugby takes place they will simply remove their participation. If the players complain to the France's body, either of their health and safety concerns (through playing too many 'minutes' etc) or that they are not allowed to be part in matches of national interest, my understanding is action can be taken against the LNR like it could be any other body/business. I see where you're coming from now re EPCR and the shake up they gave it, yes, that wasn't meant to be a separate statement to say that FFR can threaten them with EPCR expulsion by itself, simply that it would be a strong repercussion for those teams to be removed (no one would want them after the above).


You keep bringing up these other things I cannot understand why. Again, do you think if the LNR were not acting responsibly they would be able to get away with whatever they want (the attitude of these posters saying "they pay the players")? You may deem what theyre doing currently as being irresponsible but most do not. Countries like New Zealand have not even complained about it because they've never had it different, never got things like windfall TV contracts from France, so they can't complain because theyre not missing out on anything. Sure, if the French kept doing things like withholding million dollar game payments, or causing millions of dollars of devaluation in rights, they these things I'm outlining would be taking place. That's not the case currently however, no one here really cares what the French do. It's upto them to sort themselves out if they're not happy. Now, that said, if they did make it obvious to World Rugby that they were never going to send the French side away (like they possibly did stating their intent to exclude 20 targeted players) in July, well then they would simply be given XV fixtures against tier 2 sides during that window and the FFR would need to do things like the 50/50 revenue split to get big teams visiting in Nov.

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