Euro clubs find new poaching fields
Thu, 10 Jul 2008 11:53
Cashed-up European rugby union clubs are looking to raid the best talent in Australia's National Rugby League (NRL) to bolster their playing repertoire.
Leading agents said Penrith wing Luke Rooney's lucrative deal with French club Toulon - for a reported AU$1,2 millon (US$1,15 million) over two years for a non-State of Origin player - was the start of something big.
Rooney's deal follows the move by another Penrith player, scrumhalf Craig Gower, to French club Bayonne last year.
Leading agents said that if St. George Illawarra's Test centre Mark Gasnier signs on to play French rugby, it will open the floodgates for European rugby clubs bidding for the best NRL backs.
"Look at the sort of money they are talking about. If you look at what Luke Rooney is getting, you can see there are other players in the NRL who could attract offers worth at least one million dollars a year," agent Wayne Beavis told the Sydney Morning Herald.
"Imagine what [State of Origin superstars] Israel Folau and Greg Inglis would be worth."
There are persistent reports that Gasnier will sign for Stade Francais or Biarritz.
Stade Francais' new Australian coach, Ewen McKenzie, said he believed Gasnier was seriously considering French rugby.
"The conversion rate [of league players to union] has been great," McKenzie told the newspaper.
"We've seen a number of league players come to union and become Test players. I've had a number of calls from guys in rugby league who are interested in moving to rugby [union] in France."
Agent Steve Gillis said European and Japanese rugby clubs are a big threat to the NRL.
"I think that, when it comes to the very best players, it will turn out to be a bigger threat than the English Super League," said Gillis.
"The rugby clubs have got a heap of money - many of them are privately owned, by multimillionaires.
"We won't see much more action this time around, but I can see six to 10 quality players going to European rugby next year, and in three years' time, I reckon we'll have 20 to 30 quality players playing over there," Gillis added.
AFP
