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by Bruce Squires 15
September 2008
 Europe’s
cash-filled rugby clubs look set for a fresh round of Kiwi
picking as the New Zealand dollar continues to fall.
The imminent
unveiling of Perpignan’s star signing Dan Carter – due in
Barcelona later this week – will again underline the
attraction of earning bundles of hard cash, and with
Europe’s top teams already planning for next season you can
bet that agents will be booking their tickets to the land of
long white cloud.
In France and
Britain it is undeniable that most Kiwis off terrific value
for money – think of Munster’s Doug Howlett or Toulouse’s
Byron Kelleher – so the continuing plummet of the New
Zealand dollar can only mean one thing: more All Blacks
heading this way.
The continuing
uncertainty over All Black qualification, prompted by
Carter’s “sabbatical”, and the relative distance of the next
World Cup – 2011 – add further ballast to the argument for
journeying abroad.
And if money is
the main attraction, which let’s face it, it surely is, then
France’s super-rich appear well placed to capitalise with
the likes of Toulouse, Toulon and Stade Francais all in the
market for strengthening their playing squads.
According to
the New Zealand Herald the clubs won’t need much more than a
competent accountant who’s up to speed on the current
exchange rates to tempt the islands’ finest over to Europe.
On their calculations a Euro350,000 contract six months ago
would have translated into a tidy $NZ630,000, while a
£350,000 contract would have been worth $NZ840,000. Figures
like these were enough for players such as Jerry Collins to
pack their bags but on today’s exchange rates the Euro deal
would have increased in value to $NZ750,000 and the pound
one to $NZ940,000.
That’s a
staggering jump by anyone’s standards and underlines why the
European game currently holds such power in terms of player
recruitment. And the bad news for Kiwis – depending on your
perspective – is that the value of the New Zealand dollar is
predicted to carry on falling.
English club
Leicester Tigers are reportedly interested in signing Rupeni
Caucaunibuca, while the mercurial Joe Rokocoko would be an
obvious attraction to any number of European teams.
Scott Hamilton
is another name being touted as a possible signing as his NZ
contract runs out this year, as do those of Rodney So’oialo,
Tony Woodcock, Ali Williams, Keven Mealamu and Mils
Muliaina.
Nothing is
likely to be announced before November at the earliest but
you can almost hear the squirreling of agents as Europe’s
power brokers send out their minions in search of more star
signings. Watch this space.
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