Wellington - All Black No 8 and Auckland Blues captain Xavier Rush has joined the exodus of leading New Zealand rugby players, signing a three-year deal with the Cardiff Blues, the Welsh club said Saturday.
The deal was sealed when Cardiff executives flew to South Africa where the Auckland Blues played the Northern Bulls and the Stormers in Super 12 matches late last month.
"Xavier is an outstanding player and proven leader of men having guided the Auckland Blues to Super 12 success in 2003," Cardiff chief executive Robert Norster said on the club's website, cardiffblues.com.
"We are thrilled and delighted that he joins us against significant competition from many sides throughout the rugby playing world."
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| 'We are thrilled and delighted that he joins us' |
Rush was first selected for the All Blacks as a 21-year-old to play Australia in 1998 and played the last of his eight Tests against South Africa last August.
Cardiff Blues director of coaching, David Young, said Rush had been in the club's sights for some time.
"We had identified his many qualities both as a player and leader and were very keen to complete negotiations for him to join us.
"He is an extremely focused competitor who has the necessary experience, but is still a young man with a tremendous appetite and enthusiasm for the game."
Confirmation that Rush is going to the Cardiff Blues has reignited speculation about who is the New Zealand loose forward who former European champions Northampton said they had targeted when they recently signed All Blacks flyhalf Carlos Spencer.
Rush and Spencer join an expanding list of All Blacks heading to Europe and with New Zealand's most capped scrum-half Justin Marshall set to join Leeds after the upcoming British Lions tour.
Prop Dave Hewett joins the Welsh club Llanelli in July, there is repeated media speculation in New Zealand that former All Blacks captain Rueben Thorne and champion points scorer Andrew Mehrtens are mulling European contracts, and lock Norm Maxwell is weighing up Japan or Italy.
All Blacks to have left the country in the past year include prop Kees Meeuws (France), lock Simon Maling and loose forward Troy Flavell (Japan) while World Cup lock Brad Thorn has returned to rival code rugby league in Australia. - Sapa-AFP
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