All Blacks: Beauden Barrett reveals the ‘dream’ he wants to achieve with Jordie and Scott which keeps him motivated
Beauden Barrett in action for the Blues (inset) and with his brothers, Jordie and Scott, ahead of an All Blacks Test.
Beauden Barrett has revealed that he is still fully committed to New Zealand rugby and has some unfinished business with the All Blacks in the international arena.
Barrett, who made his Test debut against Ireland in 2012, already has a 2015 Rugby World Cup winner’s medal and two World Rugby Player of the Year awards in his possession.
Despite those achievements and being in the twilight of his international career, the fly-half said he is giving his all to the game in New Zealand until at least 2027 especially with next year’s World Cup in Australia looming on the horizon.
“I’m contracted through until the end of 2027. So yeah, of course, I’m here for the foreseeable,” Barrett told the DSPN podcast with Martin Devlin.
‘I’m very happy’
“It’s a huge motivation for me to stay. And while I still feel I can contribute, I’m very happy. And New Zealand rugby is where it’s at for me, for my family.
“Yes, you might get more money offshore, but with my five-year-old starting school, still feeling like I can contribute here for the Blues, for the All Blacks and for Taranaki…
“It’s, you know, in five years’ time, I’ll be looking back and hopefully I’ll have no regrets around staying. Whether I’m good enough or not, I’m gonna try my best to be there come ’27.
“And the feeling that I had after the ’23 World Cup, how close we got with my brothers and with the team, it’s a feeling that keeps me going and was a big reason why I’m still here.
“Because I’ve had out clauses all throughout this new term of four years and can continue to do so. But I mean, it’s not even in the back of my mind.
“It’s just an option. For me, I’m fully committed. And it’s really about me getting my body in as good a shape as I can and contributing to the team whenever I’m selected.”
The 34-year-old expanded on being motivated to lift the Webb Ellis Cup alongside his younger brothers, Scott and Jordie, after they fell short in achieving that goal when they all started in the 2023 World Cup final in France, which the All Blacks lost narrowly to their arch-rivals the Springboks.
“I can only imagine the joy it’ll bring. I dream of holding that World Cup with my brothers and how close we got in France,” he revealed.
“Again, it just keeps me going. So, it would be just a great way to finish in New Zealand.
“I enjoy being part of the journey and that process of the All Black team and the Blues team and just being in New Zealand rugby because I know that I can add a lot of value to young people around me, to any team that I’m involved in.
‘I get a real buzz out of that’
“So I get a real buzz out of that as well.”
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The experienced playmaker has delivered some superb performances for the Blues this year and his fine form has helped the Auckland-based franchise to reach join-top spot with the Hurricanes in the Super Rugby Pacific standings.
Both teams have amassed 25 points although the Hurricanes have played one fewer than fewer the Blues, have a superior points difference and also lost one match compared to Vern Cotter’s troops’ two.
Those Blues losses were suffered during the early stages of the tournament – against the Chiefs in Round One and the Brumbies in Round Three – but things have improved since Barrett played his first match of the season against the Crusaders at Eden Park earlier this month.
“The Crusaders game was my first game back (in) round four. And of course, happy to be back winning games,” he said.
“Yes, performances haven’t been complete and notably our first halves have been slow and we’ll work hard on trying to pinpoint why that is, but at least we’re finishing strong and as a team we’re working hard together.
“Vern’s very good at that inclusivity around the whole squad. Our B team’s doing really well, so there’s plenty of good depth. So yeah, the performances and the trainings have been at a high standard, but we haven’t put an 80-minute game in yet, but that’s what we’re striving for.”
