Former All Black Mike Delany is returning home to play for the Bay of Plenty Steamers in this year's Mitre 10 Cup. Photo/File
Former All Black Mike Delany is returning home to play for the Bay of Plenty Steamers in this year's Mitre 10 Cup. Photo/File
One test All Black Mike Delany has come home to play for the Bay of Plenty Steamers in the upcoming Mitre 10 Cup season.
Delany has returned from England where he was playing for the Newcastle Falcons in the English Aviva Premiership.
Delany, a versatile playmaker providing strength on attackand accuracy with the boot, clocked up more than 60 caps for the Bay of Plenty Steamers from 2005-2010 and will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience back to the side.
The 35-year-old played Super Rugby for both the Highlanders and the Chiefs prior to heading overseas to play for Japanese club Panasonic Wild Knights, French Club Clermont Auvergne and the Newcastle Falcons.
Delany said he was excited to be back on home soil.
"It is great to be back, it has only been a couple of days now, but I am loving being back home.
"My family and I had thought long and hard about when would be the right time to come back to New Zealand and when this opportunity came up with Bay of Plenty Rugby it just felt like something we couldn't pass up," he said.
"We were fortunate enough that the Newcastle Falcons granted me early release, so after six seasons or so overseas I'm excited and motivated to return to play for the Bay, it is where I started and it is home for us."
Bay of Plenty Rugby Union chief executive Mike Rogers said having Delany return home to play for the Steamers this season was great not just for the team but the community as well.
"He will bring with him a vast amount of experience and will no doubt slot in with the team around him and we suspect he will be a crowd favourite as he once was."
Steamers head coach Clayton McMillan said Delany brought a vast amount of experience to the team through his time overseas and was an integral member of a successful Steamers outfit when he previously played here.
"That success culminated in his selection as an All Black has opened doors for the fantastic opportunities he has experienced since.
"He has added value wherever he has gone and we are confident he will bring the experience, professionalism, and game management ability that will allow our exciting group to flourish, and provide fantastic mentoring to some special talent we have coming through our academy ranks," he said.
Mike Delany Playing History: Bay of Plenty Steamers - (2005 - 2010) Caps: 61 All Blacks - (2009) Cap: 1 Debut: November 15, v Italy, San Siro Stadium, Milan Super Rugby: - Highlanders (2007, 2012) + Chiefs (2009 - 2011) Japan Top League: - Panasonic Wild Knights (2011 - 2013) French Top 14: - Clermont Auvergne (2013 - 2015) Aviva Premiership: Newcastle Falcons (2015 - 2017)
