Rugby: Relief as Tew keeps Retallick and Savea

Rugby boss Steve Tew has welcome news. Photo / Paul Estcourt

NZ Rugby stems haemorrhage of players to overseas with retention of key pair

After presiding over the departures of a growing number of talented young men from the game, New Zealand Rugby boss Steve Tew will today announce some good news for his organisation - the signings of Brodie Retallick and Julian Savea.

The pair are two of the best players in the world, proof of which was seen last year when lock Retallick beat the shortlisted wing Savea to World Rugby's Player of the Year award. It was a fine recognition for a 23-year-old tight forward who made his Super Rugby debut with the Chiefs in 2012 and his All Black debut several months later in the June victory over Ireland at Eden Park.

He has now played 36 tests.

Savea had a tougher time of it initially. A star of the New Zealand Under-20s team, Savea struggled to make the transition to Super Rugby in 2011 with the Hurricanes, but went to a new level a year later with his blockbusting running and defence, making his test debut alongside Retallick and scoring a hat-trick but then having to overcome deficiencies under the high ball that saw him dropped and return a better player.

Savea is now considered one of the best wings in the world with 30 tries in 33 tests. He has never played more than two consecutive tests without scoring.

Their signings are significant because New Zealand Rugby has this year had to prepare goodbyes for Colin Slade, Tom Taylor and Charles Piutau, with older players Conrad Smith, Ma'a Nonu, Ben Franks and Jeremy Thrush also leaving for overseas clubs after the World Cup.

Jerome Kaino's new three-year deal this season was a win for New Zealand Rugby, as was the recommitment of fellow Blues loose forward Steven Luatua, but Retallick and Savea will allow the organisation to breathe a lot easier because of their class and relative youth.

The pair held off re-signing until several conditions were met, including apparently the four-year length of their deals and a sabbatical clause which is likely to see Retallick play for Japanese club Panasonic at some stage.

There were fears among those at New Zealand Rugby that they would go, however, which would have signalled a watershed in terms of the organisation's player retention, or lack of it.

"I think if Brodie and Julian decided post Rugby World Cup to move on, then it would be really bad news for us," New Zealand Rugby's general manager of rugby, Neil Sorensen, told the Herald last month.

"You would have to start saying we are not doing something right here and you would have to say it was a trend. It would have been great to keep Charles [Piutau] and Colin [Slade] - but you wouldn't wantto lose two more current All Blacks."

There will be satisfaction from Tew today, but also relief, probably, as he reflects on a double victory against the forces of overseas clubs, which have more money than ever and are targeting ever younger players.

Tew's fight isn't over yet.