Umaga to retire. Its official

Gumbootguy

Umaga to quit

26.11.05
By Wynne Gray


All Black captain Tana Umaga will sign off from international rugby tomorrow - his mind and body unable to endure two more seasons until the next World Cup.

The 32-year-old centre, the first Pacific Islander to skipper the All Blacks, has been weighing up his international sporting future since the series whitewash against the Lions.

Umaga has battled the conflicting forces of his passion for the All Blacks and instincts which told him he could not sustain the schedule until the 2007 World Cup in France.

He wavered when coach Graham Henry and others canvassed solutions to prolong his time at the top - ideas such as cutting his test and travel demands, and even taking a gap year.

Some ideas appealed, but Umaga felt it unwise for an All Black captain to get special concessions.

And the deeper he went on this Grand Slam tour, the more he was convinced his instincts to finish an All Black career which started against Fiji in 1997 were right.

The lingering fallout from the tackle on Lions captain Brian O'Driscoll, relentless media criticism in Britain and death threats in Ireland, all strengthened Umaga's conviction.

When he pondered a Super 14 season starting in early February and a 14-test schedule next year for the All Blacks, Umaga knew something had to give.

The more he thought about the rigours of two more years in the international game, and the extended time away from his wife and three children, Umaga knew he had to put a fullstop on his career after 74 tests.

When he accepted Henry's offer to succeed Reuben Thorne as All Black captain, Umaga told the coach he would give him two years and then reassess things.

The pair became strong colleagues during an association which will end tomorrow with 20 wins and three losses in tests. But neither that friendship, nor other close mates, could dissuade Umaga from quitting.

He will see out the remaining two years of his contract with the Hurricanes and Wellington and, unless there is an extreme plight or doctors discover some anti-ageing potion, his All Black days are over.

In giving up the All Black role, Umaga will turn his back on a salary believed to be more than $500,000 a year - from the All Blacks, NPC and Super 12 combined - though he will still be well rewarded for his role with the Hurricanes and Wellington.

It is unclear whether he will make any announcement but the Herald understands the All Blacks coaching staff have accepted that Murrayfield tomorrow will be Umaga's final appearance in the black jersey - his 21st test as All Black captain.

The following day, the seasoned midfield back will join teammates Daniel Carter, Richie McCaw and Isaia Toeava and coach Henry for a trip to the International Rugby Board awards ceremony in Paris.

McCaw has deputised for Umaga as All Black captain in two tests and is probably seen as the natural successor. However, his role as openside flanker does bring him into regular conflict with referees and he has suffered several recent head injuries.

Another former captain, Anton Oliver, is still in the squad though his season has also been blighted by injury and he is in stiff competition for his hooking place with Keven Mealamu.


"Perhap Irish rugby can now move forward...?"

Santa Claus

Gumbootguy wrote:

The lingering fallout from the tackle on Lions captain Brian O'Driscoll, relentless media criticism in Britain and death threats in Ireland, all strengthened Umaga's conviction.

Death threats......Slight bit of exageration by the NZ herald there I think!!!!

Gumbootguy wrote:

"Perhap Irish rugby can now move forward...?"

Perhaps the kiwis can get rid of their "everyone hates us because we're so good" paranoia

Davei141

Death threats...please...

Chucky the tree

Awfully shame. Excellent Rugby player. Shame he wont be on the international tour anymore.


I still cant believe the hype his challenge against Dicko, sorry i mean drico, has caused. Its a shame theres alot of sad tossers out there who cant move on.

Gumbootguy

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/mbscrumv/F2172321?thread=1547206

The above thread is more international and less parochial. Whats your thoughts?

Chucky the tree

Seems a more accurate reaction rugby fans should be giving.

Steffano2002

Davei141 wrote:

Death threats...please...

Sorry... That was me... :rolleyes: hehehe

RuggieBear

oh well done stretch...you've got yourself a siteban.

tool

Death threats...? BS i reckon. I'd like to see the evidence
Is the NZ Herald like the Evening Herald here...a complete and total hysterical horse ****e rag?

Steffano2002

RuggieBear wrote:

Is the NZ Herald like the Evening Herald here...a complete and total hysterical horse ****e rag?

Obviously... :rolleyes:

Nukem

Poor Tana *boohoo* death threats indeed. Can see a few guys over a few pints writing the letter:rolleyes:

Great player though!

Eoin

Fantastic player and very exciting to watch, will be a shame to see him go.

But:

What a stupid article - "death threats"? Did the Kiwis not themselves say that the Irish public were very welcoming, and it was only the media that were still causing the hype? I am not even quite sure how that journalist managed to write that article when he seems to have had his lips firmly surrounding Tana's rusty sheriffs badge.

Snickers Man

Perhaps our Kiwi visitors could put these death threats into context by referring to one of the minor classics of Irish (well Anglo-Irish) literature, namely the Experiences of an Irish RM by Somerville and Ross. Serialised on TV in the 80s and repeated recently on RTE.

The very English Peter Bowles (can't remember his character's name) retires from the army and takes up a post as a resident magistrate in rural Ireland. At one of his first sittings, he comes up against the subtleties of the Irish vernacular with hilarious effect. He is trying a case for assault against a typical stage-Irish peasant played by Niall Toibin. It goes something like this: (exaggerate culchie Irish and stuffy upper crust English accents in your mind for best effect):

Toibin.: Well your honour, we went outside and when I got hold of him, I killed him dead.

Bowles (aghast): Am I to understand that you murdered this gentleman?

Toibin: I did your honour. And he'll remember it for the rest of his life.


I suspect that any 'death threats' Umaga received were in similar vein.

Only a complete bloody fool would believe them.

Wait a minute......

mchurl

death threats is going a bit far now i have to say but will be sad to see such a great player retire

Snickers Man

Well the NZ Herald has an impecable source for its assertion that Umaga received death threats while in Ireland: the Irish edition of the Sunday Mirror. !!!!

And even then the story was denied by the New Zealand management. Threats: yes. Death threats: no.

Wonder what it was. Perhaps it was somebody passing him on the street who drew his thumb across his neck as a throat-slashing gesture.

Actually if you follow this link to the bottom there's another link where you can e-mail the author of this farrago, Wynne Gray.

A diagram pointing out the different locations of his arse and his elbow might be helpful to him.

Mungaman

Still smells like a pantomime in here
Tana Umanga is considering retirement still playing for super 14 and National divisons. "Taking time to consider my options" and another quote of
"We'll see "
I won't be at all surprised to see Umanga line up against Brian O'D in a black jersey next year.

Davei141

Thats why there was no response really, the article failed to actually say he was going to retire, just that it "might" be his last game. It was pretty poorly written. I dont think he would retire before the 2007 wc.