Rugby: French lure too strong for Naholo

Waisake Naholo will go to France this year. Photo / Getty Images

The Highlanders made a big pitch to keep star winger Waisake Naholo but he had all-but signed a deal to go to France before the season had even kicked off.

Naholo, 23, is the form winger of the competition, making big metres with the ball in hand, and is the leading try-scorer, having bagged six tries in seven games.

But it will be a fleeting glimpse of the Fijian's talents as he is heading to the Northern hemisphere at the end of the season, having signed a deal with Top 14 club Clermont.

Highlanders general manager Roger Clark said the franchise tried to keep Naholo in New Zealand and made him an improved offer but it was not enough to sway him to stay.

"We made him what we thought was a good offer. But it is never going to be enough when you are up against overseas clubs," Clark said.

"We put our best foot forward but we were not able to keep him here. That is disappointing but that is part of our game at the moment.

"You get these guys down here and they come through and grow into good players. You hope to get a good few years out of them and that is what we have done with someone like Nasi [Manu]. We have had great value out of him.

"Waisake has been for us what Malakai [Fekitoa] was last year and it is a shame we can't keep him here."

The maximum a Super rugby player can earn is about $180,000 a season, though there are always third-party deals. But that pales in comparison to what French clubs, backed by rich owners and a big broadcasting deal, can offer.

Naholo had been bubbling under the radar before coming to the Highlanders. He had one average season with the Blues in 2013, playing just two games, and played a bit of sevens with New Zealand last year before coming south.

With the Highlanders having incumbent wingers Richard Buckman and Patrick Osborne seemingly set for the season, it appeared a straight forward move for Naholo to sign for Clermont.

But Buckman got injured and Naholo got his chance, and it is fair to say he has made the most of it.