Former All Black Jarrad Hoeata signs with North Harbour

Jarrad Hoeata in action for the Highlanders in 2011. Photo / Dianne Manson.

Former All Blacks lock cum blindside flanker Jarrad Hoeata is North Harbour's latest signing for the Mitre 10 Cup.

The 33-year-old has just finished a stint with the Cardiff Blues, for whom he played 62 times over several seasons.

Hoeata played three tests for the All Blacks in 2011, prior to Rugby World Cup, along with nine for the Maori All Blacks, 68 matches for Taranaki, and 53 for the Highlanders.

He will bring a hard edge to the Harbour pack, who have lost Chris Vui to Worcester, and could form a potentially effective second-row combination with the likes of Gerard Cowley-Tuioti.

Hoeata is renowned as a non-nonsense forward who is capable of incurring yellow cards as he pushes his discipline to the limits.

North Harbour coach Tom Coventry says that Hoeata brings experience in spades, at a time when replacements were required after the 2016 season.

"Jarrad's entry into Harbour is on the back of losing last year's captain and lock Chris Vui to Europe. We've been looking within the union to replace Chris's experience, and this coincides with Jarrad's contract coming to an end at the Cardiff Blues and him wanting to return to New Zealand," says Coventry.

"He believes he's still got plenty to offer the NPC, and still has a desire to play Super Rugby again, so he brings that experience that we possibly lose with Chris. To me it was an opportunity to put his experience into our squad. He brings a hard-nosed, uncompromising attitude to the way he plays the game, so brings that to our squad as well."