New Zealand Rugby Union make offer to lure Sonny Bill Williams home

By staff writers
May 23, 2010

New Zealand Rugby Union has made a formal offer to to Sonny Bill Williams in a bid to lure the former league star home to play the 15-man code.

All Blacks coach Graham Henry recently revealed he had spoken to Williams and had been impressed with his attitude towards rugby and his desire to return to New Zealand.

Henry will reportedly meet with Williams’ Australian agent next week fuelling speculation Williams will be playing provincial rugby in New Zealand this year.

Auckland, North Harbour and Counties-Manukau are the three unions chasing hardest for Williams.

"We've made an offer to Sonny Bill to come and play rugby from July,'' NZRU acting chief executive Neil Sorensen said.

"We think he's a special athlete. For a guy who's still relatively new to the game his potential is enormous. We're really keen for him to be part of our environment.''

Sorensen also said if everything went according to plan then Williams could well tour with the All Blacks in their end of year tour to Hong Kong and Europe.

However before getting ahead of themselves the NZRU had to beat offers from Williams’ current French club Toulon as well as the NRL, which he controversially left in 2008.

Sorensen said the offer was indicative of Williams’ potential in the game.

"He's not being offered ridiculous money,'' he said.

"He is an Auckland boy and so we would imagine his first preference would be in the upper North Island to start with.''

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,...-23217,00.html