Rugby legend's tough choice

Becoming a father once more at the age of 45 is forcing former All Black Michael Jones to think again about a possible jump into politics.

The legendary flanker, rated by Rugby World magazine as one of the top three All Blacks of the last century, has been wooed by Prime Minister John Key for the National Party list.

He said this week that he recognised the need to decide whether to stand "very soon".

"I think it will become clear in the next six months," he said.

His close friend and former All Black teammate Va'aiga (Inga) Tuigamala is also mulling over whether to stand for Parliament and said he expected to decide this month.

But Jones, who turns 45 next month, said he was thinking again about his future since he and his wife Maliena, 38, found that they were having a baby this June.

"Obviously there's been an invitation to consider politics," he said.

"Whilst there is a part of me that says I don't know if it's naturally where I'd gravitate to, I'd do it if I felt it was where I would make the most contribution."

As Maliena Jones nodded beside him, he said: "I also know that if I felt strongly that was what I needed to do, Maliena would support me and we'd find a way to make it work."

He recognised that he only had a "window of opportunity to make decisions". But the new baby was also "a very important consideration".

"All of a sudden, when your wife is pregnant, you start thinking, 'Maybe not. Maybe you just keep on doing what you're doing, and do the best you can within a lifestyle that won't undermine what is most precious to you'."

The couple, who married in 1994, already have a daughter Tiare, 11, and a son Niko, 9. Their new baby was "completely unplanned" but friends describe them as excited about it.

They have chosen not to find out its gender in advance because they want to maximise the surprise.

"Given that it's realistically our last - although you never say last because we thought we were never going to have another one - we really want to enjoy every last moment of it, including the surprise," Jones said.