Exodus

[Bovidae]

The NE Free Jacks have 8 players with NZ connections plus Van Den Hoven.

https://freejacks.com/team

[SBW1]

@stargazer That is a sizeable contingent, sounds like New Zealand might be providing the core of some of these overseas competitions. I would imagine there would be a lot in Japan as well, including coaches as well.

[gt12]

@stargazer

Nice to see you back!

[Steven Harris]

@stargazer was chatting to Dan Bowden at North Harbour stadium today about this very subject , not only MLR is taking players but also the Shute Shield Sydney where the game is already semi professional.

[taniwharugby]

@stargazer

Kara Pryor is at New York, Dan Pryor and Matt Moulds at San Diego Legion (although Moulds set to return for NPC)

[Stargazer]

@taniwharugby Yeah, I know; they signed a longer time ago. I've only listed the signings of the last month or so. There are plenty more Kiwis playing in the MLR.

[SBW1]

@stargazer There must be a good few hundred playing in all of the overseas competitions. I can remember an article over a decade ago which put a figure at 300 and that was mostly Europe and Japan.

[ARHS]

@sbw1 There are over 400 now, with a lot of players going to Japan or North American for the off season, if they miss a super contract. Japan 120+, France 100+, Americas 50 approx, Other Europe 100 approx, Offshore super teams 30+

Numbers in England and Guinness Pro 14 seem to be dropping.

[SBW1]

@arhs Offshore Super sides would mostly be Oz and Fiji, MP now that SA are out. England's rise has surely had a lot to do with the number of Kiwi coaches and players in their leagues, in the past anyway. Kind of seems we are exporting a lot of our rugby depth.

[muddyriver]

@sbw1 coaches is the big one. The coaching depth at mitre10 is very thin.

It will get worse and worse. We are the Brazil of rugby. When/if america grows out that will be the final nail in the coffin, referring to out Pro league being in the elite tiers.

[Higgins]

@arhs said in Exodus:

@sbw1 There are over 400 now, with a lot of players going to Japan or North American for the off season, if they miss a super contract. Japan 120+, France 100+, Americas 50 approx, Other Europe 100 approx, Offshore super teams 30+

Numbers in England and Guinness Pro 14 seem to be dropping.

Co-incidentally I was scanning through the squad on one of the teams that played earlier today and from the Washington Old Glory team they have Api Naikatini , Danny Tusitala, Kyle Stewart (ex Manawatu), Renata Roberts Te Nana, Peni Lasaqa (BoP), Willie Talataina (Ponsonby and who played a few games for Southand from memory) and even Junior Sau from the Kiwis years ago all in their squad. Then there is Callum Gibbons on their coaching staff as well.

[Bones]

Think here is best?
https://www.rugbypass.com/news/he-was-actually-really-angry-that-i-didnt-know-what-id-done-tawera-kerr-barlow-all-blacks-la-rochelle/

[Bovidae]

@bones That was a good read. TKB's uncle Tukere was at Hamilton BHS when I was there. That was the connection for TKB to come to NZ.

[Yeetyaah]

@bovidae not so small world. His uncle, Rima, was a tutor at Polytech when I was doing a course there. A remember wearing a Chiefs jersey one day and he spoke about him.

[nostrildamus]

@bones said in Exodus:

Think here is best?
https://www.rugbypass.com/news/he-was-actually-really-angry-that-i-didnt-know-what-id-done-tawera-kerr-barlow-all-blacks-la-rochelle/

Really enjoyed it, thanks Bones.
Surprised no eyebrows raised who he favours as best 9 or best coach (didn't he ever play under Foster?)

[Bones]

@nostrildamus said in Exodus:

Surprised no eyebrows raised who he favours as best 9 or best coach

Not sure what's so eyebrow raising? Or are you just using them to take another boring shot at Foster?

[nostrildamus]

@bones said in Exodus:

@nostrildamus said in Exodus:

Surprised no eyebrows raised who he favours as best 9 or best coach

Not sure what's so eyebrow raising? Or are you just using them to take another boring shot at Foster?
A1Aaron Smith not mentioned.
A2 guilty as charged. I was really more interested to read how highly he values and mentions Wayne Smith rather than Rennie, which might explain a few recent things overseas.

[Nepia]

@nostrildamus Did you miss the preceding sentence?

[KiwiMurph]

@nostrildamus Dupont is the World Player of the Year - it's not a huge leap to call him the best 9 in the world, especially considering TKB plays in France.

[muddyriver]

@kiwimurph and Arron Smith is geriatric