Is rugby union’s Japanese exodus a money-grabbing exercise or a sign that the times are changing?

Beauden Barrett’s shock move to Suntory Sungoliath next year is the latest sign that last year’s Rugby World Cup left a legacy much greater than we could have imagined

Beauden Barrett has signed a deal to play in Japan next year with Suntory Sungoliath (Getty)

Many asked what the legacy would be of Japan hosting the Rugby World Cup last year. A seat at the table with the big boys was the obvious answer, which if this autumn’s proposed eight-team tournament is anything to go by, is ever slowly getting there. The end of the tier one vs tier two divide was a more fanciful dream, which World Rugby still has a considerable amount of work to achieve.

But few, if any, will have foreseen Thursday’s announcement that Beauden Barrett would be on his way to join Suntory Sungoliath in one of rugby’s most expensive acquisitions.

Big-money moves to Japan are not uncommon, but the timing of this one certainly came as a surprise. Barrett has only played twice since joining the Blues in the off-season, but he will spend at least the next year abroad in a deal worth a reported £790,000 per year while remaining eligible for All Blacks selection - the suggestion is already that he will remain for another 12 months afterwards.