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Former All Blacks lock set for return to New Zealand after signing with Hurricanes
Former All Blacks lock Dominic Bird will return to New Zealand from France next year after signing a deal with the Hurricanes for the 2022 Super Rugby season.
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Bird has been plying his trade with Top 14 side Racing 92 since leaving the Chiefs in 2018, but will return for a second stint in New Zealand rugby, which will begin later this year when he suits up for Wellington in the NPC.
The 30-year-old, who played two tests for the All Blacks between 2013 and 2014, said he was excited to come home and partake in a new professional competition featuring the 10 Super Rugby Trans-Tasman franchises, Moana Pasifika and the Fijian Drua.
“I’m excited to be getting back into Super Rugby next year and returning to NZ with my family to live,” he said in a statement released by the Hurricanes.
“We’ve enjoyed our time with Racing Metro in France, and I feel like I’ve been playing some of my best rugby up there, but now is the right time to return home. I’m looking forward to testing myself again in Super Rugby and adding huge value to the Hurricanes in 2022.”
In addition to his test match experience, Bird has also spent his fair share of time in Super Rugby, having debuted for the Crusaders in 2013.
After notching up 31 appearances under the tutelage of Todd Blackadder, Bird moved north to the Chiefs ahead of the 2016 season, where he racked up 27 matches before departing for Paris two years later.
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During his time in the French capital, Bird has featured regularly for one of Europe’s most reputable clubs, playing alongside a hoard of household names at the Paris La Defense Arena.
Starring alongside the likes of Finn Russell, Simon Zebo, Pat Lambie, Joe Rokocoko, Kurtley Beale, Emiliano Boffelli, Juan Imhoff, Donncha Ryan, Gael Fickou, Virimi Vakatawa and Camille Chat, to name a few, Bird has helped Racing 92 challenge for silverware both domestically and continentally since his arrival.
Bird started for Racing 92 in their European Champions Cup final defeat to Exeter Chiefs in Bristol last year and his side remains in contention to claim their first French league title since 2016 with four rounds remaining in the Top 14 regular season.
That adds to the Super Rugby play-offs experience Bird garnered with both the Crusaders and Chiefs and the six provincial titles he won with Canterbury, which leaves Hurricanes head coach Jason Holland excited about the arrival of the 2.06m second rower.
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“We’re really looking forward to seeing Dom turn up and show his experience for the Wellington Lions before he comes into our group,” Holland said of Bird, whose experience will help minimise the impact of the potential losses of seasoned forwards Vaea Fifita, Ricky Riccitelli and Gareth Evans, all of whom are off-contract this year.
The Hurricanes have scored a big win over the Highlanders in Wellington – but was the collective effort better than the individual performances on the night? #SuperRugbyAotearoa #HURvHIGhttps://t.co/U1JmQiwiYu
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) April 30, 2021
“Speaking with him, we know how much he wants to prove himself again in New Zealand rugby and you can’t beat the sort of experience he will bring to us.
“He’s a big man who has shown he can match it with some of the toughest forwards in a really challenging competition and we think he will bring real value to the club.”
The return of Bird adds to the trend of offshore-based Kiwis making their way back to New Zealand after stints abroad.
Former All Blacks wing Julian Savea has been used frequently by the Hurricanes since his arrival back at the franchise from Toulon this year and has since signed a contract extension that will keep him in Wellington until 2023.
The Hurricanes also lured back first-five Simon Hickey from Europe, where he had been playing for Scottish club Edinburgh, but an ACL injury sustained during pre-season ended his campaign before it started.
The Highlanders also dipped into the offshore market in the lead-up to the current season, picking up former All Blacks duo Liam Squire and Bryn Evans from NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes and Sale Sharks, respectively.
The Blues, meanwhile, signed ex-Chiefs wing Bryce Heem from Toulon just a week-and-a-half before the 2021 campaign kicked-off.
Fresh after their 35-29 defeat to cross-town rivals Stade Francais over the weekend, Bird’s Racing 92 side will continue their run to the Top 14 finals with a home clash against fellow title hopefuls Clermont this Saturday.
Comments on RugbyPass
“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
3 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
2 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
3 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
3 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
3 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
2 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
4 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
3 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
3 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to comments