New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has laughed off suggestions the government should pay to stop top All Blacks from going overseas.
All Blacks coach Steve Hansen and New Zealand Rugby boss Steve Tew recently raised the issue.
They said they face the challenge of retaining players offered large salaries by Northern Hemisphere clubs.
The overseas deals are becoming more and more lucrative, with All Blacks first‑five Beauden Barrett, who starred in Saturday's win over the Wallabies, reportedly offered $3.4 million a year to join a French club after next year's World Cup.
Tew told reporters today that NZRU spent more money each year than it made, with 36 percent of their expenditure going on player wages.
He says the financial assistance from the government may be needed if New Zealand wanted to keep its top talent at home and in the black jersey.
Tew says they continue to spend on average between NZ$5 million and NZ$7 million a year more than they earn and thirty‑six percent of their costs that are fixed go to their professional players.
Ardern says the New Zealand taxpayer already helps fund grassroots rugby.
She says there had been no formal approach for government funding from NZRU and it's up to every boss to advocate for their workers and she guesses that's what the coach of the All Blacks is doing.
The Rugby Championship is on a bye this week.
[Source: Radio NZ]
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