Crosswell returning to Turbos
Nick Crosswell is excited to be back where his rugby career started.
The former Hurricanes, Highlanders and Chiefs loose forward-lock has signed a one-year deal with the Manawatu Turbos.
Crosswell, 31, has spent the past three seasons playing for Welsh club Newport-gwent Dragons.
‘‘I always wanted to come back,’’ Crosswell said.
‘‘An opportunity has come around now and I think it is exciting.
‘‘I love the team and I love the province so it is good to be back.’’
It was a move that has been in the works for a couple of months.
‘‘I was talking to Cots [Manawatu coach Jeremy Cotter] and he said there was a potential opportunity to play there and we jumped at it.’’
Crosswell was a member of the Turbos back in 2006 when they were promoted back to the top flight of provincial rugby.
Since then he amassed 81 games for the province.
At the end of the 2014 campaign, he packed his bags for Wales where he went on to play more than 50 games for the Dragons.
He said he made a mutual decision with the Dragons to move on at the end of the season.
‘‘They were going through a lot of changes at the club.
‘‘I found out quite late in the piece that they were going through new ownership with the WRU [Welsh Rugby Union] taking over.
‘‘There is talk that they want to move to an all-welsh set-up. But we loved our time there.’’
He believed he still had more to give on the rugby field.
‘‘I have always liked the idea of that if I had the opportunity, playing until I was 35.
‘‘As long as I am still enjoying it and the body is still good, I will just keep trucking along. There are a few more kms left in this body.’’
But he was yet to decide a plan beyond the NPC.
‘‘We have just signed a one-year deal at the moment.
‘‘We will get through this
Pre-season match
Manawatu’s pre-season match against the Hawke’s Bay Saracens in Waipukurau yesterday finished after The Standard’s print deadline. Coverage of the match will be in tomorrow’s edition of the newspaper. campaign and see where we are at. I don’t want to think too far ahead. I just want to get on the field for Manawatu and do the best job that I can.’’
A chance to add to his 42 Super Rugby games was one option.
‘‘I would not rule it out. That would be another big challenge, but I would definitely consider it if the opportunity arose.’’
Crosswell joins a Turbos team down on experience, but packed with potential and the desire to bounce back from two consecutive down years.
‘‘After that good year [in 2014] it was not what anybody wanted to see. If you have a look at us on paper we have some really talented players so we just have to bring it all together and put the results on the field.’’
The last time Crosswell donned the green and white, the team celebrated winning the NPC championship title.
He will be hoping for similar success now he is back.