Rugby: NZRU aims for commonsense approach to Rio selection

Sonny Bill Williams. Photo / Christine Cornege

Amid prophecies of varying degrees of doom about the possible future state of the national game, the factor complicating everything is the Olympics and the unknown impact it will have on Super Rugby and All Black selection.

The Herald understands that while the invitation has generated ample interest among New Zealand's best 15-a-side players - and plenty considered it at length - only Liam Messam and Sonny Bill Williams have so far said they would like to give it a go.

There may be other All Blacks - such as Beauden Barrett, Julian Savea, Cory Jane, Victor Vito and Ben Smith - who decide they are interested after all. Or, there may be fringe test candidates who stick their hand up and try to make it to Rio.

NZRU general manager professional rugby Neil Sorensen, says the plan, at this stage, is to not deny or force any players to take or decline either the chance to play Sevens or be an All Black.

"We haven't got to the point where we will say sorry you can't go to Rio or sorry, you can't be an All Black we want you to go to Rio," says Sorensen.

"We won't get to that point. This is all new to us. We might get to that point further down the track but for these Olympics, we are trying to balance it with common sense."

New Zealand sevens coach Gordon Tietjens was granted permission last year to ask an extended group of the best players if they were interested in playing at the Olympics.

That agreement to open the door to All Blacks was made after the New Zealand team lost the Commonwealth Games final to South Africa.

It was also due to the fact the NZRU has made winning two gold medals at Rio a strategic priority and because the opportunity to be part of an Olympic games was deemed too great to deny anyone the right to at least try to get there.

The commonsense approach Sorensen talks about is trying to ensure no one part of the game - be it Super Rugby, All Blacks or the Olympics - is adversely affected. While the goal to win medals is a priority, preserving the All Blacks' winning record is also important.

There is also the need to protect and promote New Zealand's full-time Sevens players and reward the men who slog their guts out on the world circuit.

Inevitably some players who have given their all to help New Zealand qualify, will not make the squad for Rio.

Their place will be taken by a big-name All Black.

"We have to ask, what does the player really want to do? If you look at it clinically we have got Wales here for three tests next year in June and then we have got a couple of the first games of the Rugby Championship," says Sorensen.

"So a top All Black would have to miss a large chunk of Super Rugby and those five tests [to play at Rio]. You are asking a young man to forgo five tests and if he is a top All Black he is likely to play 70-80 tests so we are not asking him to give up his career.

"And we are not looking at taking 20 All Blacks to Rio.

"We believe - whether it is going to be right or wrong - in insuring that a large chunk of the 12 picked are experienced sevens players ... career specialists.

"We want them to be complemented by some X-factor players who may or may not be All Blacks. That's our model at this stage. We are not looking to rip the heart out of the All Blacks.

"We can't do that and we are conscious of Super teams - if we have to take two of their players out they need to know early so they can recruit for replacements.

"We have got to be mindful of Steve Hansen and his team as already we know there are a few players moving on, compounded by the Sevens - it is not an ideal situation but it is an exciting one, though."