Aaron Smith in action for the All Blacks during the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
All Blacks legend Aaron Smith has added his voice to the eligibility debate, insisting that New Zealand Rugby (NZR) should consider changing their current law.
New head coach Scott Robertson has urged the governing body to keep an ‘open mind’ in regards to the policy, while Ardie Savea would like to see it scrapped altogether.
Smith, who ended his All Blacks career by signing for Toyota Verblitz after the Rugby World Cup, has now weighed in on the matter.
The 35-year-old’s proposal is watered-down in comparison to Savea’s idea, but the scrum-half would still like to see NZR make alterations.
His suggestion is more akin to the Wallabies’ ‘Giteau Law’, which was introduced in Australia in 2015 ahead of the Rugby World Cup in England.
“The last two World Cups show that maybe it isn’t the way. For our country, our market of Super Rugby and harnessing our talent, playing in New Zealand helps the game,” Smith told the Rugby Direct podcast.
“When I was playing you had to be in New Zealand to be picked for the All Blacks.
“My only view would be there has to be a criteria for something, like if you’ve played eight years or 60 Tests. There needs to be a criteria so not all our young talent takes off.
“Players could be eligible to go abroad and still give back to the country. That’s where I think it would be fair.”
Ardie Savea urges New Zealand Rugby to ‘evolve’ overseas policy, highlighting Springboks’ success
Smith insists that it is important they keep their youngsters in New Zealand but feels that those who have done their time in an All Blacks jersey deserve to be able to play abroad and still be eligible.
“By no means do I want all our 21-year-old, 10-Test All Blacks taking off to Japan and not helping that next group come through,” he said.
“There has to be a group above a certain amount of Tests and time in the team that gives you the opportunity to earn more money and still play for the All Blacks like South Africa have done – they’re two-time champs in a row. There has to be some gravy in that.
“I think by this next World Cup there will be changes to that criteria.
“We’ve got enough smart people at the NZRU to come up with a criteria that not all our top talent leaves.
“You’re talking about four or five players who are deserving of that top end money and will still be wearing the black jersey. I’d say in the next few years there will be something that will move.”
Smith had high praise for the Springboks having been impressed by the way they built towards peaking at the last two Rugby World Cups.
“The microscope only really comes on in those World Cup years. The Bledisloe (Cup) is key every year and building our teams but you look at other nations – they build and peak at World Cups,” he added.
“If South Africa hasn’t shown that, then everyone is blind. They don’t do it pretty but they’ve done it. And they’ve done it twice now.
“You’ve got to applaud them on that. Talking to Pieter-Steph du Toit, my team-mate in Japan, hearing certain things about how Rassie [Erasmus] does things… It’s all calculated.
“They’re not worried about the next four years – they’re worried about how the next World Cup is going to look.”
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