By nick mulvenney
Sydney, – All Blacks Flyhalf Beauden Barrett is keen to see a return to japanese involvement in super rugby pacific, believing it would strengthen the competion and make it more.
From a peak of 18 teams across four Continents in 2017, Including the Japan-Based Sunwolves, Super Rugby has contracted this year to 11 teams in new zealand, Australia and the Pacific Islands.
Barrett has played in Several Manifestations of the competition, Including a new zealand-only competition enforced by the covid Pandemic in 2021, and Wants a Return to a Greater Georna.
“It Got Tiresome When We We Waying Heads With Just The New Zealand Teams, that was not a great competition, to be fair,” The aucland blues reporters at the launch of the launch of the 2025 Wednsday
“It is exciting playing Australian TEAMS, Traveling, Having the Drua and Moana Involvement.
“I’d love to see the japanese become part of the competition.
Super Rugby Featured 15 Teams when Barrett Made His Debut for the Wellington Hurricanes in 2011 and it expanded to 18 with the additional involvement of japan and argentina in 2016.
A Contraction Back to 15 Teams in 2018 was followed by the covid pandemic, which effectively broughdt an end to south African involvement.
Barrett said it was important to make the competition more attractive to older players who might otherwise be tempted to take up lucrative contracts in the Northern hemisphere.
“From a player point of view, we’ve lost south Africa.
“It’s the traveling, the experiences you have off the field, but also the stadiums, the different environments you play in, that’s what makes you a good player.
“And it’s theSE Sorts of Things that Keep Players who have been Around a bit more interested and excited to get back up for another season,” He added. “Otherwise it’s the decision, ‘Okay, I’m Getting a little bit stale. Let’s go offshore’.”
Unlike South Africa and to some Extent Australia, New Zealand Still only allows players based in the country to replace the all blacks at test level.
Barrett, who has had two lengthy sabbaticals in japanese club rugby, thinks the policy should change for players who have alredy long service to new zealand rugby Ight provide a framework to allow it.
“If you have japanese based super rugby teams, Australian Based Super Rugby Teams, I Think If there’s ’s kiwis that was and play there, they can still be eligible,” He said.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
