Top 14. George Bridge signs in Montpellier: massive arrival of the All Blacks after 2023?
By Writing Rugby
Published on
The announcement was made this Thursday, October 13 in the evening: the New Zealand winger, George Bridge (27 years old; 19 selections), has just signed Montpellierclub he joins as additional player. 3-time winner of Super Rugby with the Crusaders, selected to play in the 2019 World Cup in Japan, the All Blacks has signed up with the MHR until 2025.
It’s a very nice price for the club of President Mohed Altrad, sponsor of the All Blacks in addition to being that of the XV of France. “His arrival will allow us to compensate for Arthur Vincent’s injury (seriously affected in the knee and absent for a long month, editor’s note). He will put his experience to the benefit of the collective and we look forward to welcoming him among us, ”reacted manager Philippe Saint-André. In the Hérault, he will find his teammate Karl Tu’inukuafe (27 selections), the pillar having just put down his luggage.
Laulala to Toulouse, Racing 92 is eyeing Barrett
This signing of Bridge in Montpellier, it shows that the Top 14 seduced in New Zealand. And given the current financial health of English clubs – Worcester has been placed in compulsory liquidation, Wasps are in very bad shape – it is not impossible that many All Blacks see the French championship as an Eldorado.
In order to replace its New Zealand pillar Charlie Faumuina, 35 years old and who is at the end of his contract, Stade Toulousain would have thrown his evolution on… the All Blacks of the Auckland Blues Nepo Laulala (31 years old; 42 selections). Racing 92 has studied, in addition to the Matthieu Jalibert track, the file Beauden Barrette (31 years old; 109 selections). But the latter would have been considered too greedy: Midi-Olympic mentions a price of one million euros per season.
Twenty All Blacks at the end of the contract
If Top 14 clubs are interested in Laulala or B. Barrett, it is because these two are at the end of their contract the day after the 2023 World Cup. But they are not the only ones: among the 35 players selected for the fall 2022 tour, more than 20 will see their contracts expire at the end of 2023.
Some career big names will attract recruiters, and players will eventually be tempted by a final challenge and a lucrative contract in France. But they will not all leave, and there is no doubt that the New Zealand Federation will be active on certain elements who still have a bright future, such as Will Jordan, Jack Goodhue, Richie Mo’unga, Anton Lienert-Brown or Scott Barrett to recite nobody else but them. already, winger Sevu Reece (25; 21 caps) has just extended with the Crusaders and the New Zealand Rugby Federation until 2024 ; Jordie Barrett has re-engaged him until 2025, as has the powerful 3e Ardie Savea line.
All Blacks: they are out of contract after the 2023 World Cup
Sam Whitelock, Brodie Retallick, Nepo Laulala, Dane Coles, Beauden Barrett, Richie Mo’unga, Aaron Smith, Will Jordan, David Havili, Anton Lienert-Brown, Brad Weber, Leicester Fainga’anuku, Tyrel Lomax, Tupou Vaa’i, Scott Barrett, Shannon Frizell, Braydon Ennor, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Folau Fakatava.
Unknown: Finlay Christie, Rieko Ioane, Akira Ioane, George Bower, Fletcher Newell, Ethan Blackadder.
But also: Damian McKenzie, Brad Weber, Jack Goodhue, TJ Perenara…
Names make you salivate, that’s for sure, and a big arrival of All Blacks can’t be ruled out. But besides an increasingly regulated and tightened salary ceiling (10.4 million euros for the 2023-2024 season, 10 million for 2024-2025 as set by the LNR), clubs must be very careful about the quota of non-JIFF players (Player from the Training Sector): it is 13 for the 2022-2023 financial year. This will therefore limit certain desires…
SG and CM
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