Beauden Barrett has weighed in on New Zealand Rugby’s eligibility debate, with the playmaker against the All Blacks adopting a selection model similar to South Africa.
NZR maintains that opening the door to foreign-based players would weaken Super Rugby and the domestic game, a stance Barrett appears to support.
The Springboks scrapped their eligibility rule in 2019, allowing Rassie Erasmus to pick players from Europe and Japan, and the back-to-back world champions have flourished with an open selection approach.
But Barrett insists New Zealand should stick to its guns, despite pressure on head coach Scott Robertson to change it.
Speaking to RZN in Auckland this week, the two-time World Cup winner has backed the governing body’s strict selection policy, saying it prevents a “bad precedent” for future players.
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“I think we just have to back what NZ Rugby are going with. Otherwise, it sets a bad precedent for the next generation,” he said.
Fresh off a stint in Japan with Verblitz, the 33-year-old believes NZR has made the right call. “It’s different for South Africa, they’ve got the reasons why,” he said.
“But for the time being, I think NZ Rugby has shown a little bit of backbone around [eligibility].”
While Barrett has returned home, fellow Kiwi flyhalf Richie Mo’unga remains in Japan with Brave Lupus, making him ineligible for selection.
“I’m sure Richie will be back in a couple of years, which will be great for New Zealand rugby,” Barrett added.
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