All Black Sonny Bill Williams' next game at Katikati Rugby Club

All Black Sonny Bill Williams on the charge during the 2019 Rugby Championship Test Match against South Africa at Westpac Stadium. Photo / Getty Images

He's just played an international test match and now All Black Sonny Bill Williams is heading to Katikati to play on the local rugby club's grounds.

The All Blacks midfielder will be part of the Counties Manukau team that will play against the Bay of Plenty Wasps and Wellington as part of a Bay of Plenty pre-season game of three halves fixture at Katikati Rugby Club on Saturday.

Counties Manukau head coach Darryl Suasua confirmed Williams would join the squad from the All Blacks today and would be playing in Katikati as they prepared for the Mitre 10 Cup season.

Williams was part of the All Blacks squad that drew 16-all with South Africa in their Investec Rugby Championship Test in Wellington on Saturday night. During a subsequent press conference All Blacks coach Steve Hansen said going into Saturday night the main goal set for Williams was to remain injury-free, which he did.

All Blacks second five eighths Sonny Bill Williams looks for a gap in South Africa's defence during the Investec Rugby Championship test match in Wellington on Saturday. Photo / Mark Mitchell

"A guy that hasn't played very much rugby at all is obviously going to be rusty so I don't think we can get too judgemental about his rugby performance but the fact his body held together was encouraging," Hansen said.

The multi-code sports star has played 38 games of XVs rugby since the 2015 World Cup final - including 19 tests, 18 Super Rugby games for the Blues, and one match for Ponsonby last month. His shirting up for Counties Manukau this weekend will be part of efforts to get his game numbers up and to see how he slots in with the side.

The game of three halves format sees the teams each play 40 minutes against each other. Wellington will take on Bay of Plenty first before Counties Manukau, followed by a Bay of Plenty vs Counties Manukau clash.

Suasua said Williams would be brought up to speed before playing this weekend.

"The other boys they had a bit of a hit out last Friday."

Suasua says the format has many benefits, providing coaching staff with a checkpoint of how they are tracking ahead of the start of the Mitre 10 Cup, while also allowing teams to test positions and combinations and adapting to different oppositions.

"It's a great idea to do it this way."

The Mitre 10 Cup gets under way on August 8 with a Southland vs Northland fixture.

The Bay of Plenty pre-season Game of Three Halves:
Where: Katikati Rugby Football Club. Entry is free.
When: Saturday, August 3. Gates open at 12.30pm.
1pm: Wellington vs Bay of Plenty
1.50pm: Wellington vs Counties Manukau
2.40pm: Bay of Plenty v Counties Manukau