Former All Black Daniel Braid will be back in Auckland next year, he wants to push for a place in the All Blacks for the Rugby World Cup
Former All Blacks flanker Daniel Braid has turned down the opportunity to sign with the Melbourne Rebels in order to push for a Rugby World Cup place.
The Queensland Reds openside will return to Auckland at the end of the Super 14 season, after signing a two and a half year deal with the NZRU. He will play for Auckland in the ITM Cup this year, after which he will be eligible to play for the Blues in the 2011 and 2012 Super Rugby seasons.
Braid says he was tempted to move to the Rebels.
"But with the world cup . . . the fact that while playing in Australia I wouldn't be available for the All Blacks, that was a big factor in not going out to Melbourne, " he says.
"To have a world cup in your home country, that's a once in a lifetime opportunity to be able to push for a spot."
NZRU chief executive Steve Tew says Braid's return shows the lure of the black jersey is still strong.
"If you listen to what Daniel Braid is saying, one of the big motivators for his decision now is to come back and strive for that jersey again - and hopefully do it in a year when we're hosting a world cup."
Tew says it is great to lure Braid back after missing out on the signatures of some other former All Blacks.
"Some make it back, some don't. We were quite keen to get Greg Somerville back, we weren't able to do that. Carl Hayman obviously has been one that got a fair bit of air time. So for some it all fits together, the stars align - and sometimes they don't."
Tew says the union is still in the market for Sonny Bill Williams, but is waiting for him to express a serious interest in returning to New Zealand.
Chiefs flanker Tanerau Latimer is poised to re-sign with the NZRU until the end of 2012.
No comments:
Post a Comment