/ 30 March 1999

NZ WANTS TO KEEP KEY PLAYERS

ALL Black coach John Hart believes the New Zealand Rugby Union may have to reassess its strict line on not considering players for national sides if they take up overseas contracts. In the wake of New Zealand’s worst Super 12 results ever Hart agreed on Monday with former All Black captain David Kirk in his weekend newspaper column that this is the biggest issue facing New Zealand rugby. Kirk pointed to New Zealanders such as the Leslie brothers, John and Martin, now in Scotland, and Tony Marsh, who was with the Canterbury Crusaders last year, as great losses to the nation’s rugby. Hart said the weekend results in which only one New Zealand side, the Auckland Blues, had a win — and that was over another New Zealand side — was cause for concern.