Who should be Grogged? This is a question debated between collectors regularly and a question which frequently crosses the brilliant mind
of Richard Hughes. There are so many potential candidates for Groggs but of
course with limited resources and capacity at the Groggshop they can’t all make
the cut. Below I have set out my own personal predictions as to players who
could be in line for a Grogg in the future, enjoy the article and if you’d like
to share your own predictions or wishlist drop us a message.
Wales
Last Grogg Released
Welsh Groggs come thick and fast and the latest one to be released was the new
Dan Biggar 9”. Following on from the previous mould of Dan selling out, Richard
promptly started work on the new Dan Biggar Grogg, which was released recently.
Predictions
So, we already know that the next Welsh Grogg to be released will be a Samson Lee 9”, however in terms of predictions for the next in line after that release, you would have to say Ross Moriarty is a strong contender. Following on from a strong six nations with Wales, Ross must be in the mix to be immortalised in clay, other contenders could be Jake Ball and Gareth Davies who have also gone from strength to strength on the international scene.
Last Grogg Released
The last England Grogg produced was
Richard over 10 years ago, for various reasons there hasn’t been an English Grogg
made since and let’s face it England have largely failed on the international
scene for the last decade, with new management under Eddie Jones and grand slam
in the 6 nations last year and on route for a second grand slam could this be
the time we see a new England Grogg?
Predictions
It would have to be a special player for
Richard to start work on an English Grogg.
There is one young star who has
burst onto the scene at both club and international level who I feel could be
in with a shout and that is Maro Itoje. Despite his young years, Maro has already won a number of honours at
domestic and international level including: European Cup and Aviva Premiership
titles with Saracens and the Grand Slam 6 Nations with England in 2016 and the
opportunity for a second this weekend. I also happen to know Richard is a big fan
of Maro so this could be a real possibility. Another potential candidate could be half centurion Owen Farrell, gone are the days where he was a hot headed and often petulant player, he is now one of the first names on the pitch and has really developed his game under Eddie Jones.
Scotland
Last Grogg Released
There haven’t been too many Scottish Groggs in recent years but one man who was
certainly deserving of a Grogg is Scotland captain Greig Laidlaw. Following on
from a fantastic World Cup in 2015 Greig was recently converted into Grogg form
and released for sale to us thankful collectors.
Predictions
There is one other Scottish player who has
gone from strength to strength with Scotland over the last few years and that
is Stuart Hogg. With a place in the British and Irish Lions squad likely and the
fact we know he is a big fan of Groggs, Scotland’s Mr Dependable could be in
the running.
New Zealand
Last Grogg Released
The last Grogg produced by the shop in
an All Blacks shirt was the new Dan Carter 9” made to commemorate the back to
back World Cups achieved by New Zealand in 2011 and 2015. We also know that
Keiran Read and Julian Savea are well under way with releases likely to happen
around the time of the British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand.
Predictions
There are a number of All Blacks who could be
in contention for being Grogged, the prediction I will make however is that Brodie
Retallick the 2014 World Player of the Year. Brodie is a consistent performer
for the All Blacks and would be a popular choice for being Grogged.
South Africa
Last Grogg Released
The last Springbok to be Grogged was Bryan
Habana. There haven’t been too many Springboks Grogged in the last decade but
the flying South African was an extremely popular choice.
Predictions
Not too many good things are happening in South
African rugby at the moment and as a result there aren’t really any stand out
contenders for a new Grogg. However, in terms of collector appeal and
popularity one potential choice could be the man mountain Eben Eztebeth.
Although quite controversial at times, he is an exceptional Rugby player and
extremely popular. The likelihood of getting a new Springbok Grogg any time
soon are slim to none I would suggest.
Italy
Last Grogg Released
The only Italian ever to be Grogged
was captain Sergio Parisse, on the field and on the Grogg shelf, Sergio is an
extremely popular figure, evident by the fact he has been Grogged despite
playing for a distinctly average international team.
Predictions
As with South Africa there isn’t a huge amount
to celebrate in Italian rugby at the moment. However, there are still some
popular players connected with Italy. One player in particular who is a clear
fan’s choice would have been Martin Castrogiovanni. A miniature Grogg of Martin
was started, but completion of the Grogg never came to fruition, for a number
of reasons. From the current Italy squad I can’t see too many contenders worthy
of a Grogg, the likeliest outcome is a new Parisse Grogg when the current edition
sells out (definitely with less hair – sorry Sergio).
Ireland
Last Grogg Released
Brian O’Driscoll was the last Irish
player to be Grogged, following on from his retirement a Grogg was released to
commemorate Brian becoming the most capped player in Rugby Union history with
141 caps. We also found out today that a new Ireland Grogg is on the way and the player being
immortalized in clay is veteran Rory Best which is due to be released around
April.
Predictions
There are a few potential candidates within
the current Ireland set up with some
rising stars bursting onto the international scene and some of the more
established players stepping up their game in recent times. Irish Groggs have
been popular with the shop over the years whether we will get another this year
following Rory best remains to be seen, if we did CJ Stander could be a
potential option and a popular one or perhaps one of the more established
players like Connor Murray, Simon Zebo or Rob Kearney could be considered.
France
Last Grogg Released
There haven’t been too many French Groggs released over the last 10 years but
collectors rejoiced with the news that juggernaut Mathieu Bastareaud would
finally be Grogged. His piece recently went on sale and collectors all over
have been extremely happy with the finished article and swooped to have him in
their collections.
Predictions
Since the 2015 world cup one player has really
stood out for me and that is their captain and hooker Guilhem Guirado. If any
player is deserving of a Grogg for sheer determination and work on the field of
play it is Guirado. Another potential contender could be Louis Picamoles who
has also put in a number of fantastic performances for Les Bleus over the
years.
Australia
Last Grogg Released
The last Australian Grogged was David
Pocock. Prior to David being produced the last Aussie to receive the honour was
the great David Campese, so we know Australian Groggs do not hit the shelves as
frequently as some of the other nations.
Predictions
As with some of the other nations there are a
few potential candidates within the current Australia set up. One player in
particular that stands out as a front runner for me would be Israel Folau, he
is an extremely popular both inside and outside of Australia and has also been
one of the first names off of the lips of collectors when discussing potential
Aussie Groggs. Australia haven’t had a great time recently on the international
scene so the chances of a new Aussie Grogg are pretty low.
Best of the rest:
Georgia
Last Grogg Released
No named players have previously been
Grogged for Georgia
Predictions
Georgia have really shone on the International
stage in recent years, they had a very successful 2015 World Cup with the
highlight being a strong performance against the New Zealand All Blacks,
despite a loss. Georgia’s rise has even led to calls for them to be included in
the 6 nations in the future a move which could lead to a relegation/promotion
type scenario. One player in particular who has risen in popularity due to his
committed performances is Mamuka Gorgodze, the Toulon player had a fantastic
World Cup in 2015 and even managed to win the Man of the Match award against
the mighty All Blacks. He is certainly a popular player and if the Groggshop
were to expand their international range he could be a good candidate.
Argentina
Last Grogg Released
No named players have previously been
Grogged for Argentina in recent years
Predictions
Argentina have surprised a few people recently
with their rise in International rugby. They now compete in The Rugby
Championship alongside Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, so are mixing
with the big boys, something which led to them having a great 2015 World Cup
where they finished 4th in the tournament. There are a couple of
players who could be potential candidates for Groggs and they are Juan Martin
Fernandez Lobbe and Santi Cordero. It would be fantastic to see a few Pumas
Grogged and I’m sure these guys would be popular with collectors.
I hope you enjoyed this piece, if you’d like to be involved
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