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Charles Piutau Move to Ulster Sign of the Times for New Zealand Rugby
Published: April 2, 2015
Everyone has their price, and for a 23 year old, a million-dollar contract is surely hard to turn down, as is the opportunity to earn this money while travelling the world.
In the past, the prestige of the All Blacks jersey has been New Zealand's main counter against the lucrative contracts on offer from European and Japanese clubs. It has allowed them to retain the likes of Richie McCaw, Dan Carter and Conrad Smith.
The European and Japanese routes have traditionally been ones taken by players in the twilight of their careers hoping to make some good money in their last few years. At that stage, they have usually secured their place in All Black history and most likely have their best rugby behind them.
That was the way for the first decade of professionalism at least.
The first big name to buck with tradition was powerhouse tighthead prop Carl Hayman. A strong scrummager, outstanding lineout lifter and powerful player in the tight, Hayman had the potential to go down as New Zealand's greatest tighthead prop ever.
In 2007, after a failed World Cup campaign, Hayman left New Zealand at the peak of his career, never to return in a rugby-playing capacity. Despite relentless attempts to get him back, the money was just too good for Hayman to turn down in Europe. As a result, he probably will not go down as one of the All Black greats because he simply did not play for them long enough.
It was a huge wound to New Zealand rugby. For the first time, a high-profile player at the top of his game had chosen money over the All Black jersey. All of a sudden, the All Black ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Rugby Union
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