Japan skimming pool of Pacific rugby elite
Updated
This weekend, one of rugby union's premier rivalries is heading north to Japan when the Wallabies take on the All Blacks in the Bledisloe Cup, but the biggest battle could be taking place off-field with many of Japan's leading rugby clubs throwing very big money at some of the Pacific's leading talent.
International names such as George Gregan, Stephen Larkham and Mark Gerrard are already playing for Japanese clubs, and now these corporate goliaths are targeting some of the biggest names in rugby league as well.
Presenter: Mark Willacy, North Asia Correspondent
Speaker: Mark Gerrard, former Wallaby; Ben Darwin, former Wallaby now NTT Shining Arcs assistant coach; Wayne Smith, rugby editor for The Australian; Craig Wing, player with NTT Shining Arcs
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MARK WILLACY: On a lush training field in Chiba east of Tokyo the NTT Shining Arcs are doing backline drills, swinging the ball wide through its star-studded line up. The Shining Arcs are a second division Japanese club but in their ranks they boast a near test strength line-up - a former All Black, a South African super 14 star and former Wallaby Mark Gerrard.
MARK GERRARD: Mate, the people are great, the food is fantastic. I probably needed a bit of a change in my career. I don't think that leaving Australia was probably the worst thing for me at this particular time. I think it's probably the best thing for me and my young family.
MARK WILLACY: Mark Gerrard is technically in the prime of his rugby career but instead of playing Super 14 and test football he's chosen instead to run around for a second-tier Japanese club in a competition many of his former teammates would scoff at. But in Japan clubs are closely tied to corporations and the Shining Arcs are the team of NTT, Japan's biggest telecommunications company.
Ben Darwin is a former Wallabies front rower who's now NTT's assistant coach.
BEN DARWIN: I would say that when you're talking about large organisations there's no depth to some of their pockets.
MARK WILLACY: And the unlimited budgets of Japanese clubs are what's scaring many Australian rugby teams.
Wayne Smith is the rugby editor for The Australian newspaper. He argues that teams like the NTT Shining Arcs might be weak on the field but in the boardroom they have a massive commercial advantage over anything in the southern hemisphere.
WAYNE SMITH: My understanding is that that club has basically got an unlimited budget. Now that's scary. You've got Japanese second division clubs you know, basically writing blank cheques.
MARK WILLACY: And one of those cheques has just appeared in the mailbox of one of Australian Rugby League's most high profile stars. After a glittering club and representative career Craig Wing is heading to Tokyo to play with the NTT Shining Arcs. He says one factor in his decision was to sample a new culture but he admits money was another reason.
CRAIG WING: The money is obviously significantly different to what I'm on here in Australia. Easy money while I've worked very hard to get to where I am and if I go over and I don't succeed and I fall on my face then there won't be any easy money there.
MARK WILLACY: Out on the field it's time for the big money signings to put their football ahead of their finances. NTT is taking on Japan Airlines and while the carrier is struggling to stay in the air, down at ground level it's hoping to upset the star-studded Shining Arcs. After a slow start NTT starts to over-run Japan Airlines. When the full-time whistle sounds it's a rout - 53 to five. But it's the numbers off the field which concern The Australian newspaper's rugby editor Wayne Smith.
WAYNE SMITH: The danger is that players who have still got a lot of service left in them for Australia might decide that there's just too much money on offer and take the money and go.
MARK WILLACY: Back at NTT training near Tokyo, former Wallaby Mark Gerrard denies he's come to Japan just to chase money. He says professional athletes have a relatively short shelf life and are entitled to earn what they can, while they can.
MARK GERRARD: To me I deserve it. I've worked fairly hard for where I am right now. I don't want to surround arrogant but mate, happy to have a couple of extra zeros on the end of the salary packet at the end of the day.
MARK WILLACY: This week former rugby league star Craig Wing is coming to Japan to meet his new teammates and club bosses. Playing the other rugby code will be a new challenge but he says he also wants to experience another culture and his favourite fare.
CRAIG WING: Teppanyaki I just, I could eat that every day of the week. From all reports I think I'm going to really miss my steak. I think they've got a good steak over there but it's really expensive.
MARK WILLACY: But on his new Japanese salary Craig Wing should be able to afford the odd bit of steak.
