New Zealand Rugby has already signed two current All Blacks through to the 2027 Rugby World Cup, but who will be next?
Star midfielder Rieko Ioane was announced on Sunday evening as the latest player to have inked a contract extension after breakout hooker Samisoni Taukei’aho signed a four-year deal last week.
Now with two players locked in for the next World Cup cycle and a mass exodus of experienced players looming after the 2023 tournament, SENZ’s Tony Kemp has postulated which player will be NZR’s next target.
“I thought he would have been in the top three definitely, I would have had him at number one as far as signing goes (but) he would be Jordie Barrett,” Kemp told SENZ Breakfast.
“At 26 I think he has to be signed through to 2027, just to solidify all the outside back options.
“As you know, if they’re struggling at 12 who’s filling in? Jordie Barrett.”
Barrett has 48 caps for the All Blacks, 85 for the Hurricanes and can cover all positions in the backline, making his signature all the more important for NZR to secure.
However, at the age of 26, the utility back may wish to follow in older brother Beauden’s footsteps and head to Japan or France to bank some money while he’s still in career-best form.
A clause to head overseas during his next contract is something NZR must consider if they want to keep him on to the next World Cup, according to Kemp.
“If they go and have a sabbatical, why wouldn’t he think about maybe going up to Japan and playing a bit of touch and picking up some cash?” he added.
“That’s what they do but they come back, as we’ve seen with (All Blacks teammate) Damian McKenzie, and it just takes them a little bit longer to get back in.
“I’m thinking with Jordie Barrett’s contract because he isn’t one of those younger guys that they’re trying to sign, he’s probably putting that together where he says, ‘Yeah I’ll sign through to the next World Cup in 2027 but I want to head to Japan in this year and I want to maybe look at going up to France in this year before I come back and settle down 18 months out from the ‘27 World Cup'.
“I just think that you’ve got to sign Jordie up.”
Barrett currently leads the Super Rugby Pacific table for points scored after eight rounds with 73 while also ranking in the top 10 for offloads and carries.