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 attack
and 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."
