These applications were then reviewed on a case-by-case basis against their criteria, reportedly to find the balance between flexibility for the athlete and the integrity of national selection. <\/p>\n
Grace Nweke was the first player<\/a> to successfully jump through this new hoop. This season she has been followed by eight others who are now playing in Australia\u2019s Super Netball.<\/p>\n This domestic league has boomed while the ANZ Premiership has struggled since the split of 2016<\/a>. It\u2019s been an uphill battle to capture both ambition and audience attention. <\/p>\n The best players in your sport are like water, they will move to meet opportunities.<\/p>\n This talent leak is the most honest assessment of the current state of play. NNZ was running out of fingers to plug the gaps. This new criteria allows them to turn the tap on and off, to help control the flow of players over the ditch.<\/p>\n A place in the national team has long been positioned as the only thing preventing the talent dam from bursting. Players were told it\u2019s just business that there wasn\u2019t more in the pot, but that loyalty should dictate their professional choices. Meanwhile, the reality was the dream of the dress could no longer hold up to offshore opportunities. Leaving had become the best way to realise your potential – financially and as a player. <\/p>\n With all this in mind, NNZ had no choice but to change tack. Still, credit to them for showing foresight on this issue. <\/p>\n Nine players this season may yet become more and, honestly, it\u2019s not going to be the end of the world. <\/p>\n It\u2019s just going to allow everyone to have more upfront conversations of where the player and the game are at. Sure, some players may apply for exemption, be rejected, but go anyway. These players were already leaving though, this just gives NNZ the chance to make a play. <\/p>\n The boardroom that should be watching all this closely is down at New Zealand Rugby HQ. They are essentially still operating the previous NNZ policy, of sabbaticals for long-serving players<\/a>. <\/p>\n Eligibility was a live issue throughout Scott Robertson\u2019s tenure and has now been passed to Dave Rennie. Meanwhile, up until now the women managed to sidestep it, with short term contracts allowing for code hopping to fill their purse. <\/p>\n The ground is rapidly shifting. Loyalty to dresses and jerseys is starting to fray. The fans are watching more international leagues than ever before, while hometown attendance drops. <\/p>\n Do the assumptions that drew these hard lines still hold water? Talent flow suggests not. Surely a sit-down, a plan, a negotiation, a realisation that it takes players around a player to build a champion in team sport. <\/p>\n If you haven\u2019t got enough resources for all of them, letting some go to allow more to grow just makes sense.<\/p>\nSilver Ferns ace Grace Nweke made a successful jump to Australia’s domestic competition. Photo \/ Photosport<\/p>\n