Barrett turns down Rio trip
Steve Hansen continues to rack up the wins in his internal battle with sevens maestro Sir Gordon Tietjens for New Zealand’s premier rugby talent next year.
First-five Beauden Barrett on Saturday confirmed he had joined All Blacks teammate Ben Smith in turning his back on a shot at a gold medal in Rio next year.
Previously, injured first five-eighth Aaron Cruden had also said he wouldn’t be pursuing a place in the sevens program next year.
So far it’s thought only veteran loose forward Liam Messam and the code-hopping Sonny Bill Williams have committed to Rio among the All Blacks squad.
Others could follow, but with Ben Smith and Barrett both showing their hand this week it’s clear the All Blacks are getting their ducks in order for the post-World Cup era.
“It was a tough decision — it is tough for everyone,” Barrett told Newstalk ZB’s Tony Veitch. “That carrot of a gold medal is dangling in front of our faces – although it is going to be very competitive over there in Rio.
“I just want to focus on my 15s game. I think I have got enough to work on.
“I don’t think we can underestimate the importance and the great opportunity of playing for the All Blacks.”
Speight pens landmark deal
Qantas Wallabies winger Henry Speight has agreed a new three-year deal with Australian Rugby that will see him remain with the Aquis Brumbies through to the end of 2018 and join the Qantas Australian 7s Program in 2016.
The landmark deal means Speight will be available for the inaugural Sydney 7s at Allianz Stadium in February next year.
As part of the agreement between Australian Rugby and the Aquis Brumbies, Speight will combine his duties with the national Sevens program and his Super Rugby team throughout 2016.
As well as the Sydney 7s on the weekend on February 6-7, Speight will be available for selection for the Hong Kong and London legs of the 2015/16 HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series and – pending qualification — the Rio 2016 Olympics.
At the conclusion of the Rio Olympics in August 2016, Speight will be available for the Qantas Wallabies for the remainder of The Rugby Championship before returning full-time with the Aquis Brumbies for the 2017 and 2018 Super Rugby seasons.
The Fijian-born excitement machine grew up playing Sevens in his native Fiji and in 2013 was named the Player of the Tournament as the Brumbies won the first-ever World Club Sevens in London.
Cooper sets sevens bid
Wallabies flyhalf Quade Cooper looks set to back out of a move to French club Toulon and stay at home with the hope of making Australia’s rugby sevens team for next year’s Olympics, Fairfax media reported on Sunday.
The mercurial 27-year-old, who played his 54th test for his country in Saturday’s victory over South Africa in Brisbane, had signed a “pre-commitment” to join the European champions in April.
However, there has been ongoing speculation that his agent, Khoder Nasser, was trying to find a way to keep Cooper in Australia.
Negotiations with the Queensland Reds were peremptorily brought to an end late last month with Queensland Rugby Union chief Jim Carmichael citing Nasser’s “unrealistic expectations”.
The Australian Rugby Union (ARU) were also keen to keep Cooper at home, however, and Sunday’s Sydney Morning Herald report said he would sign a four-year deal, concentrating on sevens next year and joining a Super Rugby team for 2017.
Wallabies coach Michael Cheika said on Sunday he had not been keeping on top of the deal while preparing his side for the Rugby Championship but had always hoped Cooper would change his mind.
“I’ve said consistently that I’m keen for him to stay and be in the picture,” Cheika said.
GB opts for Anglo/Welsh combination
Great Britain Rugby Sevens have announced the coaching structure for the men’s and women’s programmes ahead of the Rio 2016 Olympics Games.
Candidates nominated from all three unions were involved in a series of interviews in front of a selection panel including Stephen Gemmell (SRU), Josh Lewsey (WRU), Joe Lydon (RRU) and Mahdi Choudhury (British Olympic Association).
Simon Amor will take the position of head coach for the men’s setup with Gareth Williams joining him as assistant coach.
Both are currently head coaches for England and Wales men’s sides respectively.
Amor, the former England sevens captain, has been in charge of his national team for the last two seasons which has seen them finish in the top four of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series rankings on both occasions. Last season’s final position of fourth ensured Great Britain was one of first four teams to qualify for Rio 2016.
Williams, who played over a decade on the international sevens circuit, took over as head coach of the Wales squad in 2014 having previously been assistant coach since 2008.
He played for Carmarthen Quins and Llandovery and was also a member of the Scarlets side which won the Celtic League title in the first year of regional rugby in Wales.
Messam to play a season in Japan
All Blacks loose forward Liam Messam has signed an off-season contract to play in Japan after the Rugby World Cup, but doesn’t appear to be joining New Zealand Rugby’s overseas exodus.
Messam is understood to have put his hand up for a shot at Olympic sevens next year and is expected to return to New Zealand in 2016 in a bid to push his case for Rio.
Neither New Zealand Rugby or Messam’s manager, Kent Hale, would comment on the 31-year-old loose forward’s contractual situation when contacted on Tuesday.
However, if Messam was allowed a mini-sabbatical before recommiting to NZ Rugby it would suggest he is firmly in sevens maestro Gordon Tietjens’ Olympic plans. NZ Rugby is expected to confirm players in contention for the Olympics in the next month or so with agreements understood to be in place around Super Rugby franchise quotas.
It wouldn’t surprise if Messam, who made his name in sevens, was part of that group and nobody could begrudge a player with 40 test caps, and more than 130 matches for the Chiefs, the chance to spend a potentially lucrative year in Japan.
No formal announcement about which Japanese club Messam would join has been made, but some overseas reports have linked him with Toshiba, the same club as current Chiefs No 8 Michael Leitch. Messam will follow a recent string of past and present Chiefs players to Japan with Tim Nanai-Williams and Robbie Robinson also linked with moves next year.
Fiji overseas players mooted
Fiji sevens coach Ben Ryan says any overseas-based players will have to play in at least two World Series tournaments next season to be considered for their Olympic team.
Fiji won the World Series title earlier this month in London to earn top seeding for the sport’s Olympic debut in Rio.
Semi Kunatani has signed for French giants Toulouse but will be released for four yet to be decided tournaments next year, as Samisoni Viriviri was this season.
Ben Ryan says he also keeps in touch with other Fijian players plying their trade abroad and their clubs.
“Some clubs have already provisionally agreed to release players at least two tournaments for next year and we will give them an opportunity in the series because next year isn’t about winning the series. Everything will be to be preparing that side for 15 months time. But I would like to say, especially based upon how well the boys are playing at the moment, I really can’t see too many boys from outside Fijian club rugby getting involved in the Olympics. I think it will be a handful — the majority of the team are still going to be island-based.”
Curry to captain NZ 7s
The All Blacks Sevens will go into the new season with the services of All Blacks Sonny Bill Williams and Liam Messam with head coach Gordon Tietjens announcing his initial training squad that will form the basis of the selected teams for the new HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.
The pair — along with Ben Lam, Ardie Savea and Akira Ioane, who impressed at this year’s World Rugby U20 Championship in Italy — are new faces in the squad from last season.
Ioane, Lam, Messam and Savea have previously pulled on the sevens jersey, with Williams due to make his debut in the sport.
A core of sevens specialists from the 2014-15 season, where the All Blacks Sevens finished third overall and qualified for Rio 2016, were also named in the squad with New Zealand using the new season as preparation for the sport’s debut at the Olympic Games. Scott Curry, a regular member in recent seasons, will captain the side following the decision of long serving leader DJ Forbes to step down from the role to focus on his sevens game.
“It’s a big year ahead for sevens so to be captain at this time is a huge thrill,” said Curry. “I’ve learnt a lot about leadership from DJ and I know I’ll be drawing on his knowledge in the season ahead. We have really important goals over the next year and I’ll be working hard to help the team be in the best possible shape to succeed.”
