Rugby: TJ Perenara opens up about the ‘challenging’ decision facing the All Blacks ahead of the Rugby Championship

All Blacks running back TJ Perenara has opened up about the “challenges” of leaving his young family for more than two months to play in Australia.

All Blacks players will have to leave their families behind for up to 10 weeks, including quarantine periods, to play in the Rugby Championship to be played in New South Wales after the first two All Blacks tryouts of the year. against the Wallabies in New South Wales. Zealand next month. A third round of Bledisloe will also be played in Queensland prior to the four-team tournament.

Speaking after Wellington’s convincing 39-21 win over Auckland on Sunday, a outspoken Perenara said it would be difficult to leave his wife and newborn daughter, as well as his Miter 10 Cup team, to play for the All Blacks. .

“Leaving will be difficult for several reasons,” Perenara said. “Being among te kapa ō raiona (roughly translated as ‘the group of lions’) for the past few weeks has been amazing. I built some great friendships in the environment and then I will leave my wife and baby for the next difficult time. . “

Perenara and his wife Greer welcomed their first daughter last month. Several other All Blacks also face the prospect of leaving their young families to play at Tasman.

“It will have its challenges,” Perenara added. “It is not an easy situation for anyone, regardless of whether they have a family or not.

“But leaving my wife and young daughter will be a difficult situation, although I am excited for the opportunity to be in the All Blacks environment. It is always an honor and a privilege to be selected on that team and to be in that environment with them. best players in the world “.

Perenara All Blacks teammate Richie Mo’unga, who also welcomed his first child last month, has already criticized a suggestion from a news outlet that some All Blacks were considering withdrawing from the Championship. Rugby this year for family reasons.

Beauden Barrett, who is expecting his first child with his wife Hannah, also broached the issue, but was also not definitive about his availability, saying there is still “a lot of water to go under the bridge” around the Rugby Championship.

As the All Blacks bid farewell to their Miter 10 Cup teams to prepare for the Bledisloe Cup this week, Perenara said returning to the team environment will be a good opportunity to talk about leaving their young families for a long time.

“Now that we’re going to All Blacks camps, it’s a really good time to have those discussions as a family, those discussions as a team within the All Blacks environment to develop those skills and make sure that all the kids that have been in In a similar situation we have the tools and support systems around us to make sure that the transition or that period of time is as smooth as possible, “he said.

“It’s not going to be easy, it’s as simple as that, but make sure it’s as easy as possible. That’s what I think the next time will be really important to build those strategies.”

Meanwhile, Peranara also spoke about the “pressure” he puts on himself while playing for the Wellington Lions, saying it’s similar to the intensity of an All Blacks test.

“Personally, I think playing rugby at a club than playing a test match, for me, I feel the same pressure. The media can generate enthusiasm, there can be enthusiasm within a game, it can be a final or a great game, but really I believe in the pressure I put on myself overcomes the pressure you can put on me.

“The pressure that a game can put on me because I hope to play each and every game well, regardless of what is at stake.

“Whether it is a preseason game for Norths or a World Cup final, my expectations for myself to perform at the highest level each and every time are the same.”

Wellington bounced back from its disappointing loss to Waikato in the first week of the Miter 10 Cup to claim an impressive win over Auckland over the weekend.

However, the provincial parties will have to continue without their All Blacks stars as Ian Foster’s men gather in Whakatāne today to begin preparation for their first test against the Wallabies.