All Blacks: Land of rising sun lures one of our favourite sons

Mils Muliaina. Photo / Getty Images

When Mils Muliaina signed up for the All Blacks two years ago, a deal that would take him through to the World Cup, he had made up his mind that he was never going to give up "the jersey" without a fight.

We're all allowed to change our minds.

Muliaina yesterday confirmed what many have for months suspected, that he will play his rugby in the near future in Japan, for the newly promoted NTT Docomo club.

"While it was hard to let go, I made the decision I wanted to go out on my own terms and did not want to cling on," the 30-year-old fullback said.

"My thinking was the complete opposite two years ago, when I wanted to hold on until I was dropped."

In recent weeks he has seen guys he has grown up alongside in the black jersey - Keven Mealamu, Dan Carter and Richie McCaw - sign deals that will keep them in black.

If anything, it made Muliaina's decision more palatable, knowing there were men he trusted remaining to carry the torch.

All Black coach Graham Henry has a close connection with Muliaina, which even extended to planting a kiss on his cheek before his first test as captain.

Muliaina travelled north from his family in Invercargill to be part of the Henry-inspired Kelston BHS rugby revolution.

"He is a special All Black; along with Richie McCaw our most capped test player; an outstanding footballer who is the best in the world in his position," Henry said.

"Mils is a natural leader, he has tremendous respect of his peers and has helped considerably in the development of younger players."

So Muliaina heads to the land of the rising sun, which this year has been more noted for rising water and unstable tectonic plates.

"I literally signed my heads of agreement with the club two days after the [March 11] tsunami," Muliaina recounted.

"It was definitely something that was playing on the minds of those close to me, but I looked at it and realised we were much further south than where it happened and I couldn't let it play a part in my decision."

The money will be good, the culture shock that he, wife Hayley and son Max will encounter will be both daunting and exciting, but the thing that swung the Muliainas towards Asia rather than Europe was the style and quantity of the rugby.

"It's a more explosive and expansive style than the UK and you play less so it's not so much of a grind," Muliaina said.

He can be forgiven for easing up on the accelerator slightly. Aside from the odd, in both senses of the word, positional shift, Muliaina has been the All Blacks' go to man at the back since 2003.

"I basically took over from a legendary All Black [in Christian Cullen] and that made me realise that every time I went out there I had to give it my absolute best," Muliaina said.

His career has been one of many highs and, as he puts it, "some very bad times".

Those very bad times, to be exact, occurred in 2003 and 2007 when the All Blacks made untimely exits from the World Cup.

The Cardiff quarter-final loss in 2007 affected Muliaina so badly that he still had tears in his eyes when fronting the media the following day.

"The World Cups haven't panned out as planned," Muliaina said, his thoughts already turning to September and October.

Wellington, Hurricanes and All Blacks stalwart Rodney So'oialo also announced he is leaving New Zealand to take up an opportunity in Japan. So'oialo will leave New Zealand at the end of this year's Super 15 to take up a two-year contract with Honda Heat.

THE MILS FILE
* Made his NPC debut for Auckland in 1999.
* Super Rugby debut for the Blues in 2001.
* All Blacks debut against England in 2003.
* Captained the All Blacks in three tests in 2009.
* Jointly holds the All Blacks test record of 94 with Richie McCaw.
* Has scored 32 tries, eighth on the NZ test tryscoring list.
* Played 49 games for the Blues before transferring to Waikato and the Chiefs in 2006.
* Played his 100th Super rugby match for the Chiefs last month.
* Won a Commonwealth Games gold medal in sevens at the 2002 Manchester Games.