Exodus 2016

gt12

With Read taking the captaincy, I think this was always in the cards. Good luck to him.

Siam

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MajorRage" data-cid="556034" data-time="1454463649">
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Vito - I'm alone on this one, but I've always thought I would have loved to see him play in the centres. I also remember him playing sevens, where he was absolute dynamite (the team gameplan was basically give the ball to Vito), so given his move to France, i'm surprised he isn't playing sevens this year.
 
The biggest thing I don't like about this, is Brett Gosper has tweeted about it, congratulating the French club on their signing. Maybe I'm reading far too much into it, but I don't think the CEO of world rugby should be congratulating French clubs on using their cash to hoover up the worlds talent.
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Agree MR, this Gosper fella is in the wrong media far too much I reckon. Comes across as incredibly full of himself - cock

MajorRage

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Siam" data-cid="556063" data-time="1454466275">
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Agree MR, this Gosper fella is in the wrong media far too much I reckon. Comes across as incredibly full of himself - cock
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I'm not sure thats what I'm saying. Every CEO is full of himself, Ã½ou can't get to that position in anything without being so.
 
What i'm suggesting is that I don't like the CEO of World Rugby seemingly aligning himself with something that almost all fans see as a real problem in the game - the centralizing of the games talent in the most cash rich region. Sending them a message on this, says he's happy with another top tier player being removed from the top tier of the game.

Smudge

To be fair to Gosper, he has congratulated Vito - not the club - and I get the feeling he must have a professional relationship with Vito through the WRAC?
 
Felicitations to World Rugby Athletes Commission member <a class="" href="https://twitter.com/VictorVito1103">@VictorVito1103</a> (oh and also an All Black) on his move to La Rochelle in France.
 
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='

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Hooroo

If I look up the word Felicitations on google at work, am I going to be in trouble?

Billy Tell

I think for Vito it's a pity his best position isn't 6. 8 will be perma-blocked by Read, whereas Kaino is ageing and there might have been room for Vito. In saying that, Akira Ioane strikes me as a potentially amazing talent.
 
With Paddy Tuipolotou back, I doubt the ABs will persist with their extra loose forward on the bench policy either.

MajorRage

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Smudge" data-cid="556072" data-time="1454467234">
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To be fair to Gosper, he has congratulated Vito - not the club - and I get the feeling he must have a professional relationship with Vito through the WRAC?
 
Felicitations to World Rugby Athletes Commission member <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://twitter.com/VictorVito1103'>@VictorVito1103</a> (oh and also an All Black) on his move to La Rochelle in France.
 
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Piss off. I was happy being upset for no particular reason.

kidcalder

Pity about Vito but he may have felt that the chances of him being no1 contender for Read being taken by Akira Ioane who is the next big thing

Smudge

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MajorRage" data-cid="556159" data-time="1454479323">
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Piss off. I was happy being upset for no particular reason.
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Mea culpa. I have now blocked Brett Gosper as a show of solidarity.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Not that I was ever following him, mind.

mikedogz

Jarrod Firth gone to Glasgow
 
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/76609339/jarrod-firth-links-with-glasgow-warriors-after-missing-super-rugby-contract'>http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/76609339/jarrod-firth-links-with-glasgow-warriors-after-missing-super-rugby-contract</a>

cgrant

Toeava to Clermont. But it's not really an exodus since he was playing in Japan ...

Billy Tell

SA rugby seems fcuked.
 
There are more SA rugby players in Europe than Syrian refugees I reckon.
 
Marcell Coetzee the latest.
 
TBH, I kind of hope in the long run that the ANZAC unions align themselves with Argentina/Japan/The Pacific for Super Rugby and ditch SA. The problem is SA falls into the European time zone and brings in the most money I think.

cgrant

A bit off topic but Toulon has signed Goromaru, the Reds fullback for the next season. Did you know that he is the highest paid rugby player in the world ? He is earning about 340 000 NZD per month.

Stargazer

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="cgrant" data-cid="558909" data-time="1455542591">
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A bit off topic but Toulon has signed Goromaru, the Reds fullback for the next season. Did you know that he is the highest paid rugby player in the world ? He is earning about 340 000 NZD per month.
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Just a rumour at this stage. Not confirmed by Toulon (usually the first to scream it off the roof tops) and denied by the Reds.

raznomore

Goromaru gets a shit load of endorsements. He is the face of rugby in Japan and is an international super star so not entirely surprising he'd get a bit. Didn't expect that type of money though.

gt12

Well, I'm shocked - he's not really next level popular here (no rugby player is) although he is clearly the most popular player. Maybe when things went crazy following the World Cup, he cashed in, but I'd be surprised if he is making that much.

Stargazer

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="gt12" data-cid="558966" data-time="1455584612">
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Well, I'm shocked - he's not really next level popular here (no rugby player is) although he is clearly the most popular player. Maybe when things went crazy following the World Cup, he cashed in, but I'd be surprised if he is making that much.
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Nothing would surprise me as far as Toulon is concerned. Toulon's owner clearly has too much money.

Wurzel

Fair play to him if it's true. Most Premier League teams have a random Japan/Korea/Thai player in their squad in the hope of capitalising on Asian fans.

gt12

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Wurzel" data-cid="558975" data-time="1455586926">Fair play to him if it's true. Most Premier League teams have a random Japan/Korea/Thai player in their squad in the hope of capitalising on Asian fans.</blockquote>
 
I'm not sure that the logic holds though - we don't even get the European rugby on JSports (on demand anyway). Pretty small market for rugby jerseys, although he might be the player who could stimulate the interest. 
Anyway, according to the Reds, it's not going to happen - and if it were confirmed I'm sure my breakfast TV show would have been going on about it. They love home right now.

Billy Tell

<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='

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Should we be worried?

The Silver Fern

Exodus 2016