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Former All Black Adam Thomson signs with Super Rugby side to complete miracle comeback

Adam Thomson during his time with Otago during last year's Mitre 10 Cup. (Photo by Dianne Manson/Getty Images)

By NZ Herald

Former All Blacks hardman Adam Thomson has capped off a miraculous late-career recovery from spending 57 days hospital bound in 2017, to signing with the Chiefs.

The 37-year-old announced today on Instagram that he had successfully completed ‘day one’ with the Super Rugby side ahead of their season opener against the Blues this month and was ‘grateful for the incredible opportunity’.

Thomson has joined the Chiefs as one of eight replacement players currently in with the squad.

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“It’s a strange old beast this life we live, this time two years ago I was flat on my back in a Japanese hospital unable to walk,” Thomson posted on Instagram. “So never underestimate what the human body can do with a little self belief and a whole lot of hard work – persistence pays.”

“Day 1 done, but we’re just getting started. Rent’s due. Let’s go to work!”

Thomson said: “I am really excited to work under Gats and I am also excited to be in a team like the Chiefs. It’s a team I’ve always looked up to, especially playing against them. The flare that they bring and the excitement. They seem like they have a lot of fun out there which is always a team you want to be involved with. If I get an opportunity to play for the team it’ll be immense.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/B7QPcEqDtGC/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Thomson was admitted to Tsukuba Memorial hospital in Tokyo on December 19 2017, with an illness that left him unable to walk for days and initially had doctors baffled.

He posted from his hospital bed during Christmas 2017 saying he had a long road to recovery ahead after being rushed to hospital in “excruciating pain”.

He was later diagnosed with lumbar discitis — an infection in the intervertebral disc space.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bc_pEVohgoH/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

“New year, new jersey… Last week I was camping in the MacKenzie Country for some overdue kiwi-summer family time. Today I pulled on this jersey and mixed it up with 8 current @allblacks and a @superrugbynz side stacked with talent!”

Thomson left New Zealand at the end of the 2012 Super Rugby season after 68 appearances for the Highlanders to take up a contract with the Canon Eagles in Japan.

He returned to Super Rugby in 2015 and ’16, playing for the Reds and Rebels respectively, before going back to Japan, linking back up with the Canon Eagles.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B7SEWU0AcgL/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

In 2017 he joined the NEC Green Rockets in the Japanese Top League.

The 29-test World Cup-winner last year played for Otago in the Mitre 10 Cup after successfully returning to action from his injury at club level in the North Harbour premier competition with Takapuna.

As well as taking the field for the All Blacks, Thomson represented New Zealand at secondary schools, under-19, under-21 and Sevens levels.

This article first appeared on nzherald.co.nz and was republished with permission.

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fl 45 minutes ago
Ex-Wallaby laughs off claims Bath are amongst the best in the world

“Yes I wrote that, because you had Leinster as the best team in the world. What was that based on - winning the URC this season?”

It was based on Leinster’s performances over the course of this season, and on their trophy. If Bordeaux beat Toulouse then I’ll change my mind and move them to first. But as it is I expect Bordeaux, Toulouse, and Leinster to all finish with one trophy each, and with Leinster having produced the best week-on-week performances of the three.


“One of those teams won the league in each of those years so yes they were worse. If I was a fan of either of those four teams I would rather have been a fan of a team that won a trophy than didn’t.”

That’s true - I would too. With regard to Stormers I think their trophy was very much enabled by the fact that they weren’t playing in europe, so were able to rest their players much more than the non-SA teams were so I’m not sure whether I would or wouldn’t consider them to have had a better season than Leinster in 2022, but clearly Munster and Glasgow (respectively) had better seasons than Leinster in 2023 and 2024. But if I was a fan of one of those 3 teams I would rather be a fan of a team that won 66 URC+CC matches over the course of 3 seasons (Leinster) than a team that won 46 (Munster) or 42 (Glasgow). If you think trophies are literally the only thing that matters, do you think Blackburn Rovers are a more successful Premier League team than Tottenham Hotspur are?


“You contradict yourself alot. Trophies matter in one post and in the same post coming second consistently makes you better.”

Its going to get really frustrating if you’re not willing to read what I write. I said: “Trophies matter. They matter a lot. But so does winning games. So does making finals.” How does that contradict my assessment that Leinster were better than Stormers?


“I doubt Leinster would say they have been the better team in any of the seasons you keep going on about.”

Teams generally downplay talk of them being the best, so that wouldn’t surprise me. But crucially I don’t think Leinster were the best team in 2022, or in 2023, or in 2024, so I’m not sure what you think you’re responding to.


“Lets make it clear though - you are the one who went on and on about previous seasons with your deep dive into la Rochelle and Stormers etc.”

Yeah - I did that because you brought up Leinster’s trophyless record from 2022-2024, so I thought that was worth responding to. If you’d like though I can stop responding to the things you say?

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