Chiefs get SBW’s scalp
31 Oct 2011
Sonny Bill Williams will play for the Chiefs in 2012.
Williams has signed with the New Zealand Rugby Union in a one year contract and has chosen the Chiefs over the Blues.
The move means Williams can partner All Black centre-turned-wing Richard Kahui in the midfield and he also gets to work with former All Blacks backs specialist Wayne Smith.
Aaron Cruden is another who has moved from the Hurricanes to the Chiefs.
NZRU General Manager Professional Rugby Neil Sorensen was thrilled Williams has committed to New Zealand rugby.
‘He was exciting to watch in Super Rugby this year, and he played an important role in the spectacular Rugby World Cup winning All Blacks side,’ Sorensen told the media.
‘He’s a special player who creates some real excitement and interest in the game with his style of rugby. We’re looking forward to seeing him create some more excitement in a Chiefs, as well as an All Blacks, jersey next year.’
Chiefs CEO Gary Dawson was as delighted.
‘He is a world-class athlete who brings with him a unique set of skills and qualities.’
New Chiefs coach David Rennie said Williams would be influential in the rebuilding of the Chiefs, who had lost several players to European clubs.
‘We are rapt Sonny’s joining the Chiefs. He had a very good World Cup and his professionalism and work ethic will have a great influence on what is a very young team,’ said Rennie.
New Zealand rugby boss Steve Tew said they had been hugely motivated to retain a player who has become the most marketable in the game.
‘Sonny Bill has been fantastic for rugby this year,’ said Tew. ‘The interest he has brought to the game, the new people he has brought to the game and even the way he’s played has been absolutely outstanding. Steve Hansen summed it up well when he said the longer he plays, the better he’s going to be. He has got unfulfilled potential in our sport.
‘He brings an on and off-field component to the game that no other athlete probably since Jonah has brought. It’s incredibly helpful off the paddock and it’s incredibly helpful for the team he plays for on the paddock.’
Williams played for the Crusaders in the 2011 Super Rugby season and for Canterbury in the 2011 domestic season. He previously played for Toulon in the south of France.
38 Comments
31 Oct 2011, 08:24 am
Mercenary dragon!
31 Oct 2011, 08:32 am
awesome news for rugby union…
31 Oct 2011, 08:33 am
yip, the guy’s mercenary for sure but then why go for the small money? makes no sense, he should just cash in somewhere in europe perhaps.
31 Oct 2011, 08:33 am
Good news for the Chiefs.
All kiwi teams are going to be well prepared for the super season … their players, the majority of them have had 5 weeks extra to rest and work on their conditioning.
It is advantage kiwis.
31 Oct 2011, 08:34 am
oh sh*t, wayne smith is going to have that backline cooking in no time! piri, leonard, cruden, delany, nonu, sbw, kahui, masaga, nanai-williams
31 Oct 2011, 08:38 am
i just dont see him going down as one of the greats in any sport he chooses to throw his weight behind.
he’s got that joe v niekerk meets bob skinstad look in his eyes and about his person.
basically, he’ll be remembered for reason other than rugby and for the promise ufulfilled.
31 Oct 2011, 08:42 am
Nonu is playing for the Blues, but your observation is still valid.
31 Oct 2011, 08:43 am
@trans Did Weepu and Nonu not sign for the Blues? Seems NZ will have at least 3 strong teams. Who did the Hurricanes sign to replace their stars?
31 Oct 2011, 08:48 am
@au revoir mon tout noirs, au revoir…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-6:
He has got himself in tow with some poor career advisors.
This business of keeping options open by limiting his playing contracts to 12 months also has the effect of restricting his third party sponsorship appeal.
As you say, when his career ends he will likely be remembered for squandering more opportunities than he took up.
This boxing caper is a joke. It wouldn’t be so bad if he at least he had some talent in the ring.
31 Oct 2011, 08:50 am
@Horings(Horings)-8:
Yes he did.
The Chiefs couldn’t justify, or afford, having three quality half backs anyway.
31 Oct 2011, 08:54 am
That Chiefs team is going to be very strong next year.
31 Oct 2011, 08:55 am
So the Hurricanes are going to be the whipping boys of NZ rugby?
31 Oct 2011, 09:00 am
@Sasuke(Sasuke)-12:
They were this year, and that was before they lost several of their best players!
31 Oct 2011, 09:01 am
@Brads(Brads)-9:
yeah, that nasser guy looks like he belongs in boxing at best or football at worst.
the kinda guy you just want to punch in the face and who leaves a bad taste in the mouth…and i havn’t even met him.
its a shame really because sbw certainly puts the x in front of factor, if only he had someone strong in his life to help mould him in a given profession. like the way cus d’amato helped shape tyson into a world champion.
31 Oct 2011, 09:02 am
the Chiefs?? really Sonny Bill?? wtf? Chiefs are kak! – They will strugle to beat EP kings!
31 Oct 2011, 09:03 am
Did Hore, Jane and Vito also sign for other teams?
31 Oct 2011, 09:03 am
Great Signing for the chiefs, he’ll put a lot of bums on seats, but surely if they want to win trophies, they need to sign forwards who can compete properly? Their back line has been brilliant for a number of years now, and got them close, but its not enough.
31 Oct 2011, 09:04 am
@Sasuke(Sasuke)-12:
not unless the new coach does a ‘john mitchell’ on them and raises them back from the dead.
but yeah, they pretty were before and will be again.
31 Oct 2011, 09:07 am
……and Elton jantjies goes to NSW WARATAHS.
31 Oct 2011, 09:12 am
@Wezwp(Wezwp)-19:
The day hell freezes over
31 Oct 2011, 09:15 am
SBW overhyped!! He’s a good player but couldn’t even make the no 1 NZ starting line up at the WC!!
31 Oct 2011, 09:17 am
Elton can go! we have Johan “Mr Rugby” Goosen!
31 Oct 2011, 10:47 am
@Horings(Horings)-16:
Jane and Vito staying with Hurricanes.
To my knowledge, Andrew Hore has not been picked up by any of the other Franchises.
Most likely will go off shore, if this is the case. He was hoping to sign with the Highlanders.
31 Oct 2011, 12:13 pm
@The Chokerman – formerly cane(cane)-23: Andrew Hore has already signed a one-year deal with the Highlanders for next season, done deal.
31 Oct 2011, 14:13 pm
This is the best move for SBW to Wayne smith as his mentor he’ll grow leaps and bounds at the chiefs with cruden at 10 and kahui at 13 masaga and nanai-Williams they’ll be dangerous, chiefs have also signed a 19 year old islander to play on the other wing.
Nothing wrong with SBW trying to get the best deal, we all do it everyday it’s the professional era.
31 Oct 2011, 15:37 pm
Somewhat surprising. SBW was apparently pretty unhappy that he couldn’t crack the first XV for the RWC. But the truth is Nonu was in form and Williams had begun to fade at the end of Super Rugby. Working with Wayne Smith will be great for his development.
31 Oct 2011, 15:48 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-24:
I doubt Hore is that much better than the industrious Jason Rutledge.
31 Oct 2011, 16:16 pm
@DAS(DAS)-26: Pretty upset that hehas left the Saders , his partnership with Fruean was one of the highlights last season ……….. Got a feeling the Cheifs will be contenders next season
31 Oct 2011, 16:18 pm
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-27: Hore is extremely good in the loose – steals alot of turnovers
31 Oct 2011, 16:19 pm
@au revoir mon tout noirs, au revoir…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-6:
you’re spot on… imo…
31 Oct 2011, 16:58 pm
Hore is not great lineout thrower, he pilfers a lot, and does not carry as well as he used too. Routledge is too old for the AB’s, they’ll have to look at Elliot and de malmanche.
31 Oct 2011, 22:42 pm
@Roar my Lions …. Currie Cup Champions 2011(RL)-4:
lol
here we go, out come the excuses.
31 Oct 2011, 22:44 pm
@stand-off(Braders)-21:
means nothing.
80% of the boks wouldnt make the run on team for the ABs
31 Oct 2011, 23:33 pm
SBW should go back to League where he was ……….”Da Man”.
1 Nov 2011, 02:06 am
@stew(stew)-28: How are the Saders looking for next year? Backline depth was looking like a potential problem even before SBW moved on, any key signings in the off season? (Carter excluded, of course).
@Te Rangatira(Te Rangatira)-34: You’ve got it all wrong, ‘Da Man’ was SBW’s good buddy Anthony Mundine.
Don’t worry though, it’s an easy mistake to make, they both love bignoting themselves, and are both rubbish boxers
1 Nov 2011, 05:22 am
Tim Whitehead signs with The Sharks and the du Plessis brothers are staying.
1 Nov 2011, 17:44 pm
Poor scalped Sonny Bill.
1 Nov 2011, 21:54 pm
@stand-off(Braders)-21: in fairness he was up against the world’s best 12, he walks into any other test team
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.