Sevu Reece's contract situation could prevent him from representing Fiji
- 2584
Crusaders winger Sevu Reece is on Fiji head coach John McKee's radar for a place in his squad for the Rugby World Cup in Japan but his contract situation may prevent him from turning out for his country of birth, according to McKee.
Reece has been a standout for the Crusaders scoring six tries in five appearances for the defending Super Rugby champions since he was brought into the squad as an injury replacement for fellow countryman Manasa Mataele.
The flyers form has catapulted him into the conversation for a potential All Black call up as well as catching the attention of Flying Fijians coach John McKee.
Reece is eligible to represent both Fiji and New Zealand and the winger met with John McKee while the Fiji head coach was in New Zealand two weeks ago.
McKee told Radio NZ that Reece's international future remained up in the air.
"Sevu's a player who would love to play for Fiji but he also wants to play Super Rugby," he said.
"It's a little frustrating when the Super Rugby contracts can be restrictive in whether players are deemed New Zealand eligible or overseas players so for someone like Sevu, who would love to play for Fiji and Super Rugby, under his current contract that could be difficult."
New Zealand Super Rugby teams have three spots available in their squad for players not eligible to play for the All Blacks, with one of those specifically designated for Pacific Island players.
Reece like many dual-eligible players must now weight up the lure of playing test rugby against ensuring his immediate future.
"It's not a cut and dried situation for Pacific Islanders playing professional rugby," said Fiji coach John McKee.
"They have a lot of pressures around their lifestyle - often they're living away from home, some of them are even living away from their families. They do provide a lot of income to their families and villages back home and there's a lot of pressure around that: balancing being the best professional player they can and pursuing professional contracts with the commitments of the international game can be difficult.
"I fully understand that and respect player's decisions but certainly I think Rugby World Cup is the pinnacle of the game and for Fiji in particular, with the talented group of players we've got currently and with the experience and blend of young players in our squad, we can achieve something special this year."
