Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Reports: Beauden Barrett and Nepo Laulala in discussions with French clubs

(Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

The All Blacks are set to lose two of their most experienced players following the 2023 Rugby World Cup with Beauden Barrett and Nepo Laulala both reportedly weighing up deals with French clubs.

ADVERTISEMENT

Considerable player movement has become the norm in the aftermath of rugby’s showpiece tournament and many would have anticipated that a significant number of senior All Blacks would look offshore following next year’s tournament, which will be hosted in France.

A slew of current All Blacks – including the likes of Laulala, Barrett, Brodie Retallick, Sam Whitelock, Aaron Smith and Richie Mo’unga – are all currently signed on contracts that run until the end of 2023 and while New Zealand Rugby will undoubtedly try to keep some players in the country beyond the World Cup, it seems inevitable that a number of them will take major offers with overseas clubs.

Video Spacer

Video Spacer

Reports out of France suggest that the Blues pairing of Laulala and Barrett are two such players.

According to RMC Sport, 31-year-old tighthead prop Laulala, who has earned 41 appearances for New Zealand since his Test debut in 2015, is being eyed up as a direct replacement for Charlie Faumuina at France’s most successful club, Stade Toulousain. Toulouse were crowned Top 14 champions last season and boast a playing roster that includes such talents as Julien Marchand, Antoine Dupont and Romain Ntamack.

While Laulala has already forged a strong career in NZ, he’s fallen out of favour recently and found himself unable to crack the match-day squad, with relative youngsters Tyrel Lomax and Fletcher Newell preferred in the most recent spate of matches.

Meanwhile, Barrett, a former World Rugby Player of the Year, is supposedly in talks with Racing 92 about joining the club following France 2023.

ADVERTISEMENT

Barrett has been an All Blacks mainstay since debuting in 2012 and has clocked up over a century of appearances in the black jersey. Barrett remains locked in a battle with Richie Mo’unga to wear the No 10 jersey.

At 31 years of age, Barrett best years are perhaps coming to a close and the talented utility back would undoubtedly attract a significant paycheck at Racing, where former All Blacks flyhalf Dan Carter also spent three seasons towards the end of his career.

While Lauala and Barrett would both be losses to New Zealand, they have given ample service to the black jersey and have well and truly earned big money deals overseas, should that be where the future takes them.

ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

J
JW 9 minutes 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.

303 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING Let's be real about these All Blacks Let's be real about these All Blacks
Search