Bernard Jackman believes the signings of Jordie Barrett and Rieko Ioane could start a trend of All Blacks stars making the move to Leinster.
The province pulled off another major coup this morning with the confirmation that Ioane would be joining them on a short-term contract next season, in a similar deal to the one which saw them recruit Barrett.
The players have been able to take advantage of a clause in their contracts with the New Zealand Rugby Union which allows them to spend one season playing abroad, before returning to their Super Rugby franchise in the summer.
Barrett arrived at the province in December, effectively on loan from the Hurricanes, and has been an instant hit, scoring four tries in nine games, and producing his best performance yet in last week's Investec Champions Cup quarter-final win against Glasgow Warriors.
The All Blacks centre will return to New Zealand in the summer, but will be replaced by his international team-mate Ioane, who will join on a similar deal after the Autumn Nations Series later this year.
These 'sabbaticals’ have been in place for several years in the contracts of the All Blacks’ star players, allowing them spend a season abroad and earn money, while also securing their long-term futures at home.
Japan has previously been a popular landing spot for such moves, with large budgets and an easier playing schedule, but Leinster have now lured two of New Zealand’s biggest stars to join based on the prospect of winning silverware.
And Jackman believes if Ioane’s spell at Leinster is as successful as Barrett’s, it could be the start of a long relationship between the province and the NZRU.
"That relationship with the NZRU where there is that trust [is important], ‘You look after Reiko Ioane well, you’ve looked after Jordie Barrett well’. They know they’re minded here; it’s a good environment here," Jackman told the RTÉ Rugby podcast.
"The benefit of Japan is the fact that they play so few games, but there are lots of stories of incredibly intense, long training sessions over there. It wouldn't be unheard of to have three and a half hour or four-hour sessions.
"That’s something from a performance point of view that you wouldn't want your best players exposed to.
"In general, the load management would be more aligned here to what New Zealand would see as the best way to look after players.
"The trust of being able to go and negotiate with the NZRU and the more you do it, and the fact if the players enjoy it, which Barrett obviously has and hopefully Rieko will, it could be something that happens on a regular basis."
While Leinster have taken advantage of those contract clauses, Jackman is hoping other provinces could get in on the act if they can secure the right funds.
And while those deals would likely only secure top players to a province from December through to the end of the season, he believes it would still represent good value.
"I would say this shouldn't be exclusive to Leinster. It should be what the other three provinces, if they have the financial power, should be able to do.
"The beauty of a sabbatical or a six-month deal is, what's the point paying Jordie Barrett for pre-season? What’s the point paying them for September or October?
"If you can really ramp up the quality of player you bring in, in terms of a world star, from an off-field point of view that’s great. Kids and fans could go see someone play in the green of Connacht who is a current All Black, or Springbok or Wallaby.
"Don't forget, the NZRU want this. They like this sabbatical because it saves them money over the course of their four-year cycles and it keeps the best players available to New Zealand.
"Hopefully this can be the start of something that Leinster are leading the way in, but can go to the other provinces as well.
"I would love to see, if funds could be found, to just try and give the other provinces a lift."
The counter-point was presented by Johne Murphy, with the former Munster wing point out that the prospect of winning a Champions Cup title is a major carrot for the top-end signings.
And he’s not sure Munster, Ulster or Connacht would be able to provide the same draw as Leinster, even if the same money was on offer.
"The only thing on that is that all high-level sportspeople are competitors. They want to win," Murphy said.
"I think that’s what Leinster have up on the other provinces in the sense that at the moment, people like Rieko Ioane can come here and he can win a European Cup.
"They have the squad that on paper is going to be in, not just a semi-final, but a final, more or less every year: ‘That’s the chance for me to get a medal that a select few in the southern hemisphere have’.
"That’s what they’re combining at the moment.
"Everyone at the highest level of any sport wants to win, and the opportunity to come up here, enjoy something new, and win something that has a huge amount of kudos or notoriety.
"In Japan, you get extremely well paid, but does the Japan league have the notoriety of a European Cup?"
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