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Peter Hynes ready to sacrifice cup spot
- Wayne Smith, Rugby union editor
- From: The Australian
- April 20, 2010 12:00AM
IT is looking increasingly likely that Reds fullback and Wallabies winger Peter Hynes will join a French or Japanese club next year, which would rule him out of the 2011 World Cup.
Hynes's father and business manager, Bob, said yesterday his son had attracted nine offers from foreign clubs, one of which is so keen to recruit him it even is prepared to set up his wife, Bree, as manager of a hairdressing salon as part of the deal.
The Australian Rugby Union has offered Hynes, 27, only a modest contract, despite the fact the ever-reliable back three player has been one of the most consistent Wallabies of the Robbie Deans era and started in every Test of last year's spring tour.
"The ARU don't seem overly interested in contracting him," Bob Hynes said. "They've come up with a small top-up (in addition to his Super rugby contract) to stay home but Peter has been offered twice that contract overseas."
Bob Hynes made a counter-offer to the ARU a month ago but has had no response.
However, an ARU spokesman said the union would hold talks with Hynes and his management in the near future, possibly as early as today.
But while things might have stalled on the domestic front in recent weeks, the pace of negotiations with foreign clubs is picking up, to the point that Hynes Sr is now seriously looking at the tax structures that make France and Japan such attractive destinations for rugby players.
"Peter would love to stay here and would love to keep playing for the Reds but he has got to look at securing his financial future.
"He has got a lot out of rugby over many years and it may just be that he doesn't ever get to play in a World Cup," Bob Hynes said.
"He has no gripe with the ARU. He knows they have a business to run, but if they don't need him we'll very easily find an overseas club that does."
From the moment the Rebels were granted the Super 15 expansion licence in Melbourne, Hynes was one of their prime targets and he still remains at the top of their hit list.
But, according to Bob Hynes, it is pointless to even begin negotiating with Australian franchises - the Western Force also has expressed an interest in him - while the situation with the ARU remains unresolved.
"If he's not going to be here, it's irrelevant," Bob Hynes said.
Peter Hynes, who shone against the Bulls, made the switch to fullback this year at the request of Reds coach Ewen McKenzie and has taken to the position so strongly that he probably is the leading contender for the 15 jersey in the Wallabies' June Tests against Fiji, Ireland and England, especially if Deans decides to employ Adam Ashley-Cooper at outside centre.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news...-1225855700974
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