Graham Henry, the All Blacks coach, has criticised young players for leaving New Zealand in search of lucrative contracts.
He has a point, only in that he has lost some of his best players to Europe. It is a symptom of a greater problem, however.
Henry is deprived of the talent of Nick Evans and Jimmy Gopperth, who moved to England because they operated in the shadow of Dan Carter, the All Black fly-half.
Carter himself signed for Perpignan in 2008 for a reported €700,000 (Dh3.76 million) and it is rumoured he will return to France after the World Cup, which starts in September.
Gopperth and Evans are vying to be the top points scorer in the English Premiership, and Henry must also make do without the likes of Carl Hayman, the prop at Toulon who would walk into virtually any international side.
The reason for Henry's ire is that foreign-based players cannot play for the All Blacks, a rule that England manager Martin Johnson will stick to after the World Cup.
The onset of globalisation was supposed to make the world a smaller place, but having this archaic law not only widens the gulf, but surely must be challenged by employment law.
South Africa have such a rule, but it did not stop Butch James, who plays in England for Bath, running out for the Springboks.
The answer is simple. The sooner these self-imposed rules are relaxed the better, otherwise coaches will continue to make life difficult for themselves and moan about lack of players.
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Last 10 NBA champions
2017: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-1
2016: Cleveland bt Golden State 4-3
2015: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-2
2014: San Antonio bt Miami 4-1
2013: Miami bt San Antonio 4-3
2012: Miami bt Oklahoma City 4-1
2011: Dallas bt Miami 4-2
2010: Los Angeles Lakers bt Boston 4-3
2009: Los Angeles Lakers bt Orlando 4-1
2008: Boston bt Los Angeles Lakers 4-2
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
JAPAN SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Masaaki Higashiguchi, Shuichi Gonda, Daniel Schmidt
Defenders: Yuto Nagatomo, Tomoaki Makino, Maya Yoshida, Sho Sasaki, Hiroki Sakai, Sei Muroya, Genta Miura, Takehiro Tomiyasu
Midfielders: Toshihiro Aoyama, Genki Haraguchi, Gaku Shibasaki, Wataru Endo, Junya Ito, Shoya Nakajima, Takumi Minamino, Hidemasa Morita, Ritsu Doan
Forwards: Yuya Osako, Takuma Asano, Koya Kitagawa
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
