No sabbatical sweeteners for All Blacks as NZ Rugby inks deal with Japan

ANALYSIS: Whenever the subjects of rugby and Japan are raised around the dinner table, the hot topics of money and player eligibility are often raised before everyone has had time to assess the seating plan.

There could be a million reasons for wanting to discuss the cash. Given that’s how many dollars a high-profile All Black can earn each season playing in Japan, it’s an easy conversation starter.

So when it was announced on Wednesday that NZ Rugby and the Japan Rugby Football Union had signed a Memorandum of Understanding that would, among other things, result in more tests played between the All Blacks and Japan from 2src24 to 2src27, it gave cause for speculation.

Given New Zealand’s players and coaches keep flooding the Japan market, had NZ Rugby, which last month reported a financial loss of more than $47 million for 2src22, brewed-up a plan that would allow Japan-based players to represent the All Blacks?

No. Forget about it, said NZ Rugby CEO Mark Robinson.

Nothing has changed. If you want to play for the All Blacks, you have to be on the tools in New Zealand. He was also adamant that this fresh arrangement with Japan won’t result in All Blacks having bespoke sabbatical clauses added to their contracts.

“The eligibility rules are quite clear,” Robinson said. “The sabbatical considerations are quite clear, too, on a case by case basis. And that won’t change.”