Exodus

[Stargazer]

Long list of players who have gone overseas; most to MLR, so may be coming back for NPC.
Some may have already been mentioned earlier in the thread.

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Caleb Makene (Hawke's Bay) - Utah Warriors (MLR)
Isi Manu (Northland) - Mazda Skyactivs Hiroshima (Tope League One)
Jordan Trainor (Auckland) - LA Giltinis (MLR)
Marco Fepulea'i (Auckland) - LA Giltinis (MLR)
Tevita Sole (BOP U19) - NE Free Jacks (MLR)
Alex Johnston (Te Puke) - NE Free Jacks (MLR)
Mills Sanerivi (Taranaki) - NE Free Jacks (MLR)
William Talataina (Auckland/Ponsonby) - Old Glory DC (MLR)
Jason Emery (Manawatū) - Rugby New York (MLR)
Kalolo Tuiloma (Counties M) - Rugby New York (MLR)
Jack Heighton (North Harbour) - Rugby New York (MLR)
Sam Matenga ( Ta$man) - Seattle Seawolves (MLR)
Dennon Robinson-Barltett (Hawke's Bay) - Toronto Arrows (MLR)
Jamie Lane (Auckland) - Utah Warriors (MLR)
Brendon O'Connor (Hawke's Bay) - Rugby New York (MLR)
Will Tucker (Otago) - Rugby New York (MLR)
Nic Mayhew (North Harbour) - Rugby New York (MLR)
Tomas Aoake (North Harbour) - San Diego Legion (MLR)
Joe Walsh (Southland) - San Diego Legion (MLR)
Lolani Faleiva (Hawke's Bay - Toronto Arrows (MLR)
Ed Fidow (Manawatū) - Rugby New York (MLR)
Felix Kalapu (Auckland) - Old Glory (MLR)
Peni Lasaqa (Bay of Plenty) - Old Glory (MLR)
Kyle Stewart (Taranaki) - Old Glory (MLR)

[Bovidae]

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

Team - New England Free Jacks

Your 2024 New England Free Jacks

[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?

'He was actually really angry that I didn't know what I'd done'

Former All Blacks scrum-half Tawera Kerr-Barlow is one heck of a storyteller, his entertaining yarns unfolding as quickly as his snappy pass.

[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?

'He was actually really angry that I didn't know what I'd done'

Former All Blacks scrum-half Tawera Kerr-Barlow is one heck of a storyteller, his entertaining yarns unfolding as quickly as his snappy pass.

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.