League stars queue for the Euro train
Thu, 23 Oct 2008 09:15
Pretty in pink: Ewen Mckenzie has the inside scoop on league hawking
Stade Francais coach Ewen McKenzie has revealed that Australian League managers are regularly hawking national League stars around cash-laden European clubs - with more players lining up to switch codes.
Since taking charge of leading French club Stade Francais - currently undefeated leaders in the Top 14 championship and chasing their 11th straight win this weekend - the former-Waratahs coach has gained first-hand experience of the situation.
While Mark Gasnier plays for Stade, Craig Gower at Bayonne and Sonny Bill Williams with Toulon, the number of National Rugby League (NRL) players moving to French clubs could increase dramatically in coming seasons.
"Since I've been here I've had enquiries from lots of people - League, Union, Test players," McKenzie told The Daily Telegraph.
"It's not even as much about rugby chasing League. It's more about Rugby League managers offering their players to Rugby Union.
"How do people in France know about their players? It's not like we are sitting here watching games of Rugby League. They know because the managers send you a list of names and then they send you a video."
McKenzie said managers in Australia have now set up branch offices in Europe.
The reality is, there are around 50 professional clubs in France alone, all competing in the same player market and all looking for that edge.
Leading NRL player manager Steve Gillis admitted he contacts European rugby clubs about clients - apparently a common practice for Australian agents.
"I've always said more and more blokes will try to get to Rugby Union now," Gillis said.
"League players are becoming more and more interested in the other code primarily because of salary cap restraints," Gillis said.
"The fact that your Gowers and Gasniers and Sonny Bill Williams have gone across have got a lot of League blokes thinking that is something they should be looking at too."
Another crucial factor, according to Gillis, was that there are so many Australians coaches in Europe and Japan nowadays who are well aware of who the Australian League players are.
"It makes it easier to strike a chord with these overseas clubs," he said.
He said with Rugby Union being a global game that is expanding, League players come onto the radar.
This weekend's clash between McKenzie's Stade Francais and second-placed Toulouse demonstrates the attractions of European rugby - attracting a crowd of 80,000 fans at the impressive Stade de France stadium in Paris.
McKenzie also warned that rugby players will not be immune to the temptations offered by European clubs; who will certainly have scouts putting the Wallabies under the microscope during their European Test series.
"There are no surprises that this sort of stuff goes on," McKenzie said.
"I think the exchange rate is probably the biggest worry for Australian rugby at the moment.
"The pound and the euro are very strong against the Australian dollar at the moment. It's gone up significantly even since I've been here in the last three months.
"That's why it is attractive. You can make some serious money and then I guess you can go home and convert it back - giving you the best of both worlds."
While a large amount of South Africans have headed offshore to play in Europe, McKenzie said the current currency conversion rates made it easy to see why.
"Being paid in pounds or euros puts you way ahead on the rand," he added.
