A highly valued All Blacks talent is keen on a stint playing for a South African club before the next World Cup.
Loosehead prop Ethan de Groot on Wednesday committed his long-term future to NZ Rugby by signing a new deal through to the end of 2029, but hasn’t ruled out a sabbatical abroad down the line.
“I’d like to just be able to be a one-club man and maybe do a sabbatical if I looked to do another World Cup, maybe,” he was quoted by the New Zealand Herald, during the All Blacks’ seven-match Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour of South Africa.
“I could probably see myself doing a sabbatical over here potentially, do a full year of scrumming over here, learn a few things into the next World Cup.”
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The 28-year-old said South Africa and France appeal most given his front-row style, ruling out Japan as an option for international props.
“South Africa, France, either one of those sort of countries, I probably wouldn’t get a lot going out of Japan,” he added.
“I think just the sheer size of some of these blokes getting around and they’re a scrumming nation, they hang their head on that and it’d just be cool to see how they operate.”
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During the tour, De Groot has also been sampling the local cuisine: “It’s on hand, you got biltong and they got these dried sausages things over here, they’re bloody good.
“And they obviously do a good cut, few T-bones and ribeyes getting around, so they know how to cook their meat over here, I’m enjoying it.”
Photo: Joe Allison/Getty Images
The post All Blacks star open to SA sabbatical appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
A highly valued All Blacks talent is keen on a stint playing for a South African club before the next World Cup.
The post All Blacks star open to SA sabbatical appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
