All Blacks boss Dave Rennie has hinted at changes to NZ Rugby’s eligibility rules after the late call-up of playmaker Richie Mo’unga for the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour.
Mo’unga on Thursday was called into the All Blacks squad as a replacement for the injured Billy Proctor. The 56-Test flyhalf has not represented New Zealand since the 2023 World Cup final against the Springboks and only returned home a few months ago following his stint in Japan.
The 32-year-old became eligible for All Blacks selection again after playing for Canterbury against Auckland in the NPC on 1 August.
He was previously ineligible despite being contracted, since his 18-month deal fell short of the two-year threshold required for automatic selection. Rennie had pushed unsuccessfully for Mo’unga’s fast-tracked inclusion.
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Speaking in Pretoria ahead of Saturday’s clash against the Vodacom Bulls, Rennie addressed Mo’unga’s previous complications and potentially selecting overseas-based All Blacks.
“What they [NZ Rugby] wanted was Richie to sign a two-year deal,” he said. “I guess he committed for 18 months and, if he’d signed for two years, then he would have been eligible from the start.
“I guess all policies will be looked at over the next wee while, but that was the criteria we’re dealing with.”
“[High performance director] Don [Tricker] and I have had conversations around what things look like long term,” Rennie added.
“There’s a bit of work to be done around the possibility of picking players from overseas, but that’ll be a long process that will need to go through board approval.”
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Writing for the New Zealand Herald, journalist Gregor Paul argues Mo’unga’s call-up has reignited scrutiny of NZ Rugby’s eligibility rules rather than settling the debate around them.
Paul says the saga has exposed inconsistencies in how NZ Rugby applies eligibility policy, and also references Rennie’s separate case for accessing players like Brodie Retallick from Japan.
Photo: Hannah Peters/Getty Images
The post Rennie opens the door to more Richies appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
All Blacks boss Dave Rennie has hinted at changes to NZ Rugby’s eligibility rules after the late call-up of playmaker Richie Mo’unga for the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour.
The post Rennie opens the door to more Richies appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
