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Clermont confirm signing of jilted All Black on two-year deal

Pita Gus Sowakula. (Photo by MICHAEL BRADLEY/AFP via Getty Images)

Two-cap All Black Pita Gus Sowakula has ostensibly given up hope on ever playing for the New Zealand national side again, signing a two-year deal with Clermont.

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Sowakula earned an All Blacks debut earlier this year off the back of an impressive season with the Chiefs in Super Rugby Pacific. While Sowakula’s form tapered off towards the end of the campaign, his early-season performances were enough to force his way into the All Blacks squad and onto the bench for NZ’s first two matches of 2022.

Sowakula’s tenure with the squad came to an end just weeks later, however, with Shannon Frizell replacing the 28-year-old ahead of the Rugby Championship. Sowakula’s ejection from the squad was never explained by the selectors but RugbyPass understands off-field misbehaviour contributed to the change in hearts from Ian Foster and co, while forwards coach John Plumtree’s departure may have also not played into his favour.

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Sowakula was also left out of the All Blacks XV squad picked later in the year, suggesting he was no longer considered one of the top 11 loose forwards in the country, while the likes of Ethan Blackadder and Cullen Grace will also be on the selectors’ radar.

“Yes, I do,” Taranaki coach Neil Barnes told Stuff when asked whether he believed Sowakula could still break into the All Blacks World Cup squad. “Every coach has their own opinions on what they want out of a player, and what they look for. For me, Pits has got a point of difference above other players.

“It is what he can do with the ball in hand, and his defence as well. If Pita Gus is playing Super, and playing at a really high level, he has got as good a chance as anyone else.”

That looks unlikely now, however, with Sowakula effectively removing himself from the selection equation.

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The blockbusting loosie’s fall down the pecking order has undoubtedly contributed to his decision to head overseas, with Sowakula set to depart New Zealand at the end of next year’s NPC season in October.

Sowakula debuted for the Chiefs in 2018 as an injury replacement and has since gone on to make almost 50 appearances for the franchise. In the past two years he has established himself as one of the best ball-running forwards in the country.

Although Sowakula is eligible to play for Fiji, his two appearances for the All Blacks will prevent him from representing the nation of his birth until three years have passed since his last match in a black jersey.

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NB 38 minutes ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Nice bit if revisioniusm but that's all it is JW.


For your further education, I found the following breakdown of one prominent club's finances in the Top 14 [Clermont].


For Clermont (budget of €29.5 million for 2021-2022) :

- 20% from ticket sales

- 17% from the LNR (includes TV Rights, compensation from producing french internationals and other minor stuff)

- 5% from public collectivities (so you're looking at funds from the city of Clermont, the department of Puy-De-Dôme and the region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes)

- 4% from merchandising and events

- 3% from miscellaneous

- 51 % from sponsorships and partnerships. They've got 550 different partners. The main ones are CGI, Groupama, Limagrain/Jacquet, Omerin, Paprec, Renault and of course Michelin (not surprising since they're actually the founders of the club).


As you can see nothing comes from the FFR at all. The LNR is a separate entitiy to FFR and their aims frequently do not accord.


It is also why the European breakaway plotted by LNR and PR back in 2013 had nothing to do with the governing bodies of either England or France - and it most certainly did not have their blessing https://www.espn.co.uk/rugby/story/_/id/15331030/jean-pierre-lux-anglo-french-cup-detrimental-european-rugby


And from the horse's mouth [ex AB skipper Sean Fitapatrick] about the comp between Top 14 and Super Rugby:


"The Top 14 in France is probably the best rugby competition in the world at the moment, purely for the week-in, week-out.”


“I think the quality of players. They are bigger, they are faster, they are stronger. Which then carries on into the international game.”

Take it from someone who knows JW😅

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