CONNACHT CENTRE BUNDEE Aki has refused to be drawn on whether he will declare his international allegiance to Ireland later this year, insisting he has yet to make a decision on his future.
The 27-year-old Kiwi becomes eligible to play for Ireland this October by virtue of the three-year residency rule but also has the option to represent New Zealand and Samoa.
Aki committed his future to Connacht last October by signing a new three-year contract with the western province and it is widely expected he will be capped by Joe Schmidt during this year’s November Internationals.
Speaking in Dublin earlier today, the New Zealand native remained tight-lipped on his international aspirations instead reiterating that his sole focus is on finishing the season strongly with Connacht.
“I do want to play at the highest level, which is international rugby, but I need to focus on Connacht,” he said.
“I can’t think ahead of myself. Ireland have quality players. Jeez, they have a lot of good players there. I can’t parachute my way in there. I’ve got to just put my head down and do what I want to do, perform week in week out, perform consistently.
“When the time arises it arises but for the moment my focus is just Connacht.”
Since arriving at the Sportsground in 2014, Aki has been outstanding for Pat Lam’s Connacht and the explosive centre was an integral figure in the province’s Guinness Pro12 title win last year.
When asked how he will come to his decision, Aki added: “Jeez, I haven’t really thought about how I am going to make that decision.
“I have been asked that question a few times and I know people think I have been thinking about it but I really haven’t. I’ve only just come back from injury. All I want to do is keep my performance up to a high standard. That’s all I can do.”
Bundee Aki was speaking at the launch of the new partnership between Kinetica Sports, Ireland’s leading sports nutritional brand and Hell & Back; Ireland’s toughest physical and mental endurance challenge.
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It sounds quite positive that he intends to declare for Ireland but doesn’t want to be presumptuous in being called up without playing well to deserve it.
He’ll greatly fix our creativity problems at 12 and hopefully free up Henshaw to move to a more suited position of 13 or 15 where he doesn’t have to pretend to be Jamie Roberts.
@Rochelle: Yeah- comments look humble to me, rather than reluctant.
I’d like a 12-13-15 of Aki, Ringrose and Henshaw
@Conor church: Henshaw is a solid 15.
I think 12 is henshaw’s best position now. He doesn’t have a wicked step, ridiculous pace or a second play maker role in him (yet).
He’d just be doing a ‘rob kearney’ from fullback- hit contact( but well!!)
He was midfield and then Connacht eased him into pro rugby at 15.
He’s a centre
He’s the workhorse our midfield needs. And he loves hitting ppl. More action for him at 12 so
@Rochelle: just because Henshaw doesn’t excite you at 12 doesn’t mean he’s not an incredibly good 12
@Kendo90: Henshaws best position is 13
I think Henshaw has an amazing kicking game that is wasted at 13 and a physical game that is wasted at 15. His playmaking will continue to develop the longer he is at 12, which i believe is his best position
@Conor Paddington: he’s a very good 12 but his talents seem to be wasted by the instructions given to him at Leinster and Ireland! He seems to be a crash ball merchant at the moment when he has proven at Connacht that he was a lot more to add to a game than that! At the moment he is not showing any creativity so I don’t see why you seem to be thick about what Rochelle said?
Nothing against him or any other non Irish player declaring for Ireland but this has to change, the residency rule as it stands is a joke. I don’t care if other countries do it, all we can do is govern ourselves the rules say 3 years but the IRFU should adopt of policy of 5 years and cap the number of qualified players to 2…if one Russian Billionaire decided to buy 30 of the best under 20 players in the world with a view to competing in the World Cup everyone would be up in arms and at the moment the IRB and leaving themselves open to creating an International game than is in essence a club game
@Fergus Sheahan: I totally disagree. We should operate within the rules as they currently stand which is 3 years residency. If that changes in the future so be it. New Zealand have been hoovering up the best talent in the Islands for years and no-one mentions that.
@Paul K Murphy: Exactly. People like to throw out the story about kiwis stealing islanders because 1) it conveniently explains why they are better than us and 2) it justifies european countries doing it. The truth is, most of the so called islanders are players who moved over while they were in primary or secondary school and sometimes includes guys who were born in NZ, but proudly celebrate their ethnicity, leading to pundits saying “aww jeez, theres another islander stolen by the all blacks”.
I do believe moving the rule to 5 years would be positive though. It ensures the players are eligable for citizenship in the country, which i think should be the standard required to represent a country. I know the application process can take a while, so i think players should atleast begin to apply for it before they start playing internationals.
@Martin Quinn: There is undoubtedly scholarships offered to young islanders, but that is miniscule compared to the scale of immigration from small pacific islands to NZ & Aus. Economically the PIs are not doing well and thanks to global warming thats only going to get worse
Ffs sign him up, he’s class !!!!!!
@blindside: He is signed up.
Not to mention that Adeolokon has been in Ireland since he was a child? By your comments you’re implying that anyone black cannot be Irish or an Irish citizen
@James Copeland: I think he’s a quality player and both him and O’Halloran have been overlooked.
Zebo IS Irish born !
Joke. Makes a mockery of the national team. I don’t care how good he or CJ or Jared Payne is, it’s supposed to the the Irish team, not the “I couldn’t get picked for the all blacks or springboks so I moved abroad to get a game team.”
There are plenty of young Irish backs available, and plenty of Irish back rows available.
How many project players is too many? 3, 5, 10?
@sup: tyler byndell will be next
@Sammy Howie: I’d bite your arm off for Byndell. He is going to world class in a couple of years. And I say that as a Leinster fan. Between him and Carbury our future looks solid at fly half..
Ringrose and Henshaw will do nicely
Hes not irish his family is not irish .he probably never even met an irishman before he came here so why does he want to play for ireland ?
@paddy: same reason CJ does or Payne €€€€€€€€€€€
There should be no room for this, maybe cases to be made for developing countries but i dont want to see him or stander for that matter playing for Ireland. At least Tom Court had an irish grandmother and some Irish blood in him. Its beyond a joke now at this point.
Aki will go to the premiership and then England
@Anton Phelan: Huh?
@Anton Phelan: Eh, then he’s back to square one again? 3 years residency in England to qualify for them. His options in October will be Ireland, New Zealand or Samoa.
@Anton Phelan: makes no sense
@David Ronan: if you’re calling this on tan strength, better include Rory Best and Jamie Heaslip. Btw is that a makey up DJ name or and hairdresser.
I just wonder how he didn’t get New Zealand caps and saili did
@Harry Malinder: before he left nz the ABs had nonu n smith soild mid field. Thats why he left i guess?
@Sammy Howie: I know that but my point really is how did saili get his two caps and how did Aki not even get one.
@Paul K Murphy: for a quarter of a million euro I year I’ll gladly move to another country and be come one of them
@Anton Phelan: it was in response to another comment which has rightly been deleted. Nothing to do with your comment I’m afraid
@Paul K Murphy: for a quarter of a million euro a year I’ll gladly move to another country and be come one of them
@Just Some Guy: don’t feed the troll
@Darren Byrne: Not a troll. Just my opinion. Also meant to say NZ
Biggest load of tripe if he gets capped for ireland. Cj and Payne was taking the piss and now this bol**x raring it’s head again! Money grabbing is all it is. Denying Irish men the opportunity to play for the team they’ve always dreamt of playing for, not just the last three years when they saw what money was on offer
@Liam Flague: not true. He was headhunted for Connacht. Ireland was not in his mind