Everyone’s favourite Australian is leaving his home country to play abroad so that he can put his family first. What a legend.
Anyone who is a regular visitor to this site will know that we love Nick ‘Honey Badger’ Cummins. From his frankly hilarious interviews to his conversations with BOD, Cummins is a hugely entertaining fella, and not a bad rugby player either, with 15 caps for Australia.
However, this morning Cummins announced on his Facebook page that he is leaving Australia for a presumably lucrative contract in Japan. But this isn’t a money grab or a career move like, say, Sonny Bill Williams, as Cummins reasons for moving are as noble as they come.
This move rules Cummins out of playing for the Wallabies and he will now surely miss the 2015 World Cup as the ARU don’t pick players who play overseas.
“Nick’s got a very unique situation and he’s requested a release from his contract with us and the Australian Rugby Union [ARU],” Western Force chief executive Mark Sinderberry said at a press conference. “[He] faces a very unique set of challenges and we’re very mindful of what’s going on. In conjunction with the players’ association [RUPA], we’ve been working through those details so that release will be granted. It’s hugely disappointing but it’s ultimately more disappointing for Nick in terms of the situation he faces.”
You simply have to admire a move like this. We wish Nick all the best and hope whatever battle he and his family are going through has a happy conclusion.