Despite Richie Mo’unga opting to see out his contract in Japan, All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson remains hopeful that he will return to New Zealand.
The talented fly-half left the country after the 2023 global tournament having signed a three-year deal in Japan with Toshiba Brave Lupus.
Robertson and New Zealand Rugby had hoped to bring him home early, but those talks broke down and Mo’unga will now see out the remainder of his contract.
That means the earliest he can return is midway through 2026, which leaves him just 12 months and one full Super Rugby campaign to force his way back into the All Blacks side.
Of course, the playmaker may decide to forgo his Test ambitions by signing another deal abroad, but Robertson certainly wants him to come back to New Zealand ahead of the World Cup in Australia.
“You want all your best players available,” the head coach told the Rugby Direct podcast.
“That’s what it takes to win a Rugby World Cup. You keep connected with all of them, it doesn’t matter where they’re at.
“I still get messages from the old players checking in. Sam Cane has had his time but he’s a prime example. He’s asking how everything is going in the off-season.
“But yeah, you just want your best players.”
Robertson was sitting alongside NZR chief executive Mark Robinson, who was asked about the Mo’unga saga and what transpired during negotiations last year.
However, Robinson remained coy on the matter and rather deflected the question, pointing to their current eligibility policy.
“There was a lot of speculation around that last year. Clearly, people understand there were conversations through last year but ultimately Richie has made a decision to work through to the obligations under his contract. We respect that and we’re moving forward,” Robinson said.
“We’re really clear on our eligibility rules. We always respect players who have left the All Blacks and are playing offshore.
“There’s always a degree of contact but that’s good coaches and good people doing their jobs properly. That happens with players that are past their playing careers. That’s the nature of the All Blacks.
“We’re clearly moving forward and have a lot of belief in the people coming through and the protocol we have in place.
“It’s an area there’s always going to be a degree of scrutiny but for us we’ve been able to, for a long period of time, retain the vast majority of players we’ve wanted to retain.
“Within the policy there’s the tools and flexibility to be creative where we need to, to recognise some of those long-term servants that have given so much to the game while retaining them longer-term.
“We’ll always be open to looking at it in the future but we’re pretty firm and supportive of it.”
