Exodus

[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.

[muddyriver]

@kiwimurph and Arron Smith is geriatric

[nostrildamus]

@kiwimurph said in Exodus:

@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.

Oh I agree, plus he is a 9/10 in a way we don't seem to have here but just idly pointing out people were calling A Smith the best 9 in the world a few months ago. I think he has competition but yeah they play slightly different roles. This French team really looks like it is getting it together and not just for a game or two every so often.

[Crucial]

Anyway, I caught a bit of TKB playing last night. Still looks like he'd do well in black.

[nostrildamus]

@crucial said in Exodus:

Anyway, I caught a bit of TKB playing last night. Still looks like he'd do well in black.

If in similar form to pre-exodus, he'd be ranked #2 halfback perhaps? I liked his form in black. Workmanlike perhaps but efficient and excellent defender.

[Machpants]

'Blown away': Leicester snap up little known Kiwi Sean Jansen

Leicester have bolstered their back row options for the business end of the season by signing Sean Jansen from New Zealand.

[Margin_Walker]

Anyone know anything about Chandler Cunningham-South? Back row, played a bit of North Harbour and Canterbury age grade apparently. Signed an academy contract with London Irish a few weeks ago.

He's straight into the England U20s team (at 6) for their 6N game against Wales tomorrow.