Northland rugby took a further hit yesterday with Dean Budd deciding to take up a contract with Japanese Club NEC Green Rockets - effective immediately.
The 24-year-old has spent a difficult couple of weeks since the Japanese earthquake weighing up the risks associated with going to Japan but late this week
he decided to go.
He will leave tonight and now the decision has been made, he believes he has made the right choice.
"It's really exciting for me but less so for my mum, she' been on my case to make sure everything's as safe as it can be, she's dragged me into the chemist to buy me iodine pills - anything that can be done to lessen the risk (of radiation poisoning) - and she's researched it," he said.
The NEC club is in the Chiba District, just north of Tokyo, only 150km south of the ailing Fukushima Nuclear facility that has been emitting radiation since the March 12 earthquake and subsequent tsunami.
"I've been spending a lot of time watching the 24-hour news channels since then ... and my agent has been communicating with the Japanese government and has been assured that everything is safe," he said.
His decision to go comes hot on the heels of Jared Payne's decision to play in Ireland next season, and he will be a hard player to replace in the Northland pack. Budd was a crowd favourite in the Taniwha side in 2010 and had a knack of scoring tries, ending the season tied with Jared Payne as the team's top try scorer with seven tries apiece - making him the top forward try scorer in the ITM Cup competition.
He was one of the unluckiest players not to pick up a Super 15 contract and admits that made him look abroad for a place to further his career.
Budd was quick to point out that he was hopeful of returning to play for the Taniwha at some stage. His contract is for one year but he would like to extend that.
"I'm going with the intention of staying for a couple of years if everything goes well ... but after that I'll be back, I definitely don't see this as the end of my rugby career in New Zealand," he said.
"I really enjoyed my rugby with Northland this year, and when I come back I'll be heading back north and hopefully playing for the Taniwha again."
He isn't without contacts in Japan with former Blues teammate Anthony Tuitavake taking up a two year contract with the NEC team
"It's not been an easy decision for me to make," Budd said.
Northland rugby took a further hit yesterday with Dean Budd deciding to take up a contract with Japanese Club NEC Green Rockets - effective immediately.
The 24-year-old has spent a difficult couple of weeks since the Japanese earthquake weighing up the risks associated with going to Japan but late this week
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