RUGBY:Munster last night confirmed they have signed the prolific All Blacks and Auckland Blues winger Doug Howlett. The 28-year-old will link up with his new team on January 1st on a two-and-a-half-year deal pending a medical and Howlett obtaining a work permit.
His signing represents a major coup for the 2006 Heineken Cup champions.
The third-highest All Blacks try scorer of all time, with 43 tries in his 59 tests, behind the previous high-profile Munster signing Christian Cullen (46) and Jeff Wilson (44), he could conceivably go the top of the lists during the World Cup.
It is to be hoped Howlett is more fortunate with injuries than the desperately unlucky Cullen, who retired during the summer after three injury-ravaged seasons.
With Anthony Horgan, John Kelly and Shaun Payne also coming to or reaching the end of their careers, and Trevor Halstead having returned to South Africa, Munster needed a proven, high-profile signing to give them more of a cutting edge, and as Howlett can also play fullback his arrival should assuage disappointment within the Munster squad and their supporters over the province's less-than-spectacular forays into the transfer market since being crowned European champions the season before last.
"This was a very big decision to make. I have had an amazing rugby career in New Zealand and I'm grateful to every person who has worked with me and has contributed to that," said Howlett. "I consider next year at Munster as a fantastic opportunity to play for another great club and experience a different lifestyle with my family."
Howlett becomes the latest in a long line of current New Zealand World Cup players to take flight to Europe, following the likes of Byron Kelleher (to Toulouse), Carl Hayman (Newcastle), Luke McAllister (Sale), Aaron Mauger (Leicester), Chris Jack (Saracens) and Anton Oliver (Toulon).
Howlett became only the seventh New Zealand player to pass 100 Super 14 appearances this year when also becoming the competition's all-time leading try scorer with 59. He has scored a phenomenal 50 tries in 58 games for the Auckland province.
"We are delighted to have someone of Doug's calibre and quality joining the squad," said Declan Kidney. "A lot of credit must go to the Munster Rugby CEO Garrett Fitzgerald and the outgoing manager Jerry Holland for acquiring Doug's services in such a complex market . . .We are looking forward to welcoming Doug to the Munster fold on January 1st."
Meanwhile, The English RFU will bid to host the 2015 World Cup but, with New Zealand expecting to record a loss when it stages the event in four years' time and with concerns mounting about the cost of the tendering process, the International Rugby Board may simply invite England to stage the event, knowing the board would be guaranteed a healthy profit.
l Wales outhalf James Hook has signed up for another four years with the Ospreys while South Africa centre Jean de Villiers and wing Akona Ndungane have been passed fit to play in the World Cup.
