Sneaky ploy by European clubs to circumvent Giteau Law and sign top Wallabies revealed

Secret contract clauses for Wallabies, the Rebel being chased by Queensland, transfer news, the Sunwolves’ plan for recruitment, and Amanaki Mafi’s visa troubles revealed.

The days of Test stars signing lucrative offers in England and France and returning for Wallabies duties appear over. Pic: Getty Images

Retire from the Wallabies or stay in Australia.

This is the secret clause European clubs are writing into contract offers for Australia’s top players to stop them returning for Tests matches under the Giteau Law.

Introduced prior to the 2015 World Cup, the Giteau Law allows any overseas-based Australian player who played a minimum of 60 Tests over seven consecutive years to be picked for the national team regardless of where they play club rugby.

Some Wallabies are having to make a tough call to take up overseas offers. Pic: Getty Images

To combat this, cashed up northern hemisphere clubs are now injecting the new clause into contract offers.

Rugby Confidential is aware of two senior Wallabies who have had this demand added to their contract offers by European clubs, while a third has already signed off on it and will retire from Tests after the World Cup.

Those who are unwilling to retire from international rugby are having revised offers given to them, at nearly 30 per cent off the original salary, meaning they’d have to give up hundreds of thousands of dollars to remain in contention for Wallabies selection.

The secret retirement clause also means Test players can’t be recalled for national duty under World Rugby’s regulation 9 rule, which states the international game takes precedence over domestic tournaments.

European clubs have been inserting these clauses for years in the contracts of Pacific Island internationals, and now they see Australians as equally vulnerable to the big dollars on offer from the north.

Before the Giteau Law was introduced it was a foregone conclusion that signing overseas meant Wallabies players were retiring from internationals. But since its inception, numerous Test stars have managed to sign lucrative offers in England and France and return for Wallabies duties.

Those days look to be over.

Could Bill Meakes join the Reds? Pic: Getty Images

MEAKES IN REDS’ SIGHTS

Bill Meakes is being chased by Queensland Reds with skipper Samu Kerevi set to leave for Japan.

Kerevi is understood to have signed a letter of offer with Top League club Suntory, and the Reds have made a play for Meakes, who has been performing well for Melbourne Rebels.

Kerevi is one of many off-contract Wallabies backs set to leave after the World Cup.

The Rebels are waiting to see how negotiations with Will Genia, Quade Cooper and others transpire before they can counter Queensland’s play for Meakes.

Already, Sefanaia Naivalu has signed a deal to go to France after the World Cup and Marika Koroibete is set to follow.

Kurtley Beale is off-contract, as is Karmichael Hunt, and both are keen to remain at NSW.

Tevita Kuridrani is being chased by overseas clubs but would be a huge loss for Australia.

Meanwhile, prop Sekope Kepu is the latest Aussie linked to English club London Irish.

If the veteran Wallaby signs, he’ll join Nick Phipps, Curtis Rona and Adam Coleman at the team under former Waratahs assistant coach Les Kiss — quite the Aussie contingent.

The Sunwolves hope to go out of Super Rugby with a bang. Pic: AFP

SUNWOLVES EYE NORTHERN STARS

The doomed Sunwolves are working on a shrewd ploy to fill their roster for the 2020 Super Rugby season, which will be their last.

The Japanese franchise is targeting northern hemisphere veterans who want a taste of Super Rugby after this year’s World Cup.

The Sunwolves will be kicked out of Super Rugby after next year because they couldn’t come up with $25 million demanded by SANZAAR to sustain themselves.

Most of their best players are contracted to Top League clubs in 2020, when the season clashes with Super Rugby due to the World Cup, and will not be available.

Desperate to fill their roster to make a competitive team in their last year, Sunwolves officials are now negotiating with some of the north’s top talent, with the lure being they get to play Super Rugby for the first time.

Many of their targets will also be looking to secure Top League deals in Japan beyond 2020, and playing for the Sunwolves would put them in a prime location to get deals done.

Amanaki Mafi won’t face the Tahs. Pic: Getty Images

WHY MAFI ISN’T MAKING TRIP TO SYDNEY

A notable omission from the Sunwolves’ line-up to play the Waratahs on Friday is Amanaki Mafi.

The 2017 Australian Super Rugby player of the year, Mafi was sensationally charged with assault last year after allegedly bashing Melbourne Rebels teammate Lopeti Timani in Dunedin, a case that is still ongoing in the New Zealand courts.

While that lingering case could be a factor in Mafi not obtaining a visa to enter Australia, it’s not the primary cause.

Mafi travels on a Tongan passport, and his visa to enter expired.

He was called into the Sunwolves’ squad only a fortnight ago, with the plan to play him in two local games.

Mafi put a request in with the Tongan consulate and Australian border security office to obtain a visa to travel from Japan to other countries for Super Rugby but did not get a response by the time the Sunwolves flew from Tokyo to Sydney.

There is no guarantee Mafi will get a visa in time for next week’s showdown between the Sunwolves and Rebels in Melbourne, where he would go head to head against some disgruntled ex-teammates.