All Blacks star Beauden Barrett and wife Hannah have welcomed their baby daughter to the world.
Barrett took to Instagram to announce the arrival of Billie Rose Barrett.
"Billie Rose Barrett - our little princess," Barrett said. "Born 23/09/20. So proud of you @hannahlaity you were amazing."
"Welcome to theworld little Billie Rose Barrett," Hannah added on her Instagram. "You are an absolute superstar and your mum and dad love you so much."
The pair were married early last year, before moving up to Auckland. With the move, Barrett joined the Blues from the Hurricanes.
Last week, Barrett said he was taking a wait and see approach to his availability in the upcoming Rugby Championship after suggestion from one media outlet that some All Blacks were considering pulling out of the competition for family reasons.
Barrett was interviewed on Gold AM's Country Sport Breakfast and said that he thought "journos are getting a bit excited – have too much time to think of what ifs and all that sort of thing".
But he wasn't definitive about his availability either, only saying that Taranaki's Ranfurly Shield challenge against Canterbury last weekend "could be my last game for a couple of weeks."
"We don't have much in front of us, in facts and details. It's hard to make a decision," he said.
"As professional rugby players we're required to turn up and perform – it's not every day you get to pull on the black jersey. It's not something you take lightly, that decision.
"This thing is changing every day, it is not even confirmed that South Africa and Argentina will come over. There's a lot of water to go under the bridge."
Beauden and Hannah Barrett's baby shower in August. Photo / Instagram
Meanwhile, New Zealand Rugby is fuming after the announcement of the Rugby Championship schedule that has the All Blacks playing their last match in Australia on Saturday, December 12, which is a change from original planning.
The last scheduled clash against the Wallabies means players and staff will be stuck in 14-day managed isolation over Christmas, a situation NZR were hoping to avoid.
Sanzaar and hosts Rugby Australia announced the match schedule for the Championship, with the All Blacks scheduled to play Australia in Brisbane on Saturday, November 7 and Argentina the following Saturday in Sydney on November 14.
The team is then scheduled to play back-to-back tests against South Africa in Sydney on November 21 and Newcastle on Saturday, November 28, with a second test against Argentina on Saturday, December 5 in Sydney and a final scheduled match against the Wallabies in Sydney on Saturday, December 12.
