Sonny Bill is staying with us, All Blacks insist

Sonny Bill Williams apparently isn’t going anywhere.

Rumours swirled yesterday morning that the 34-year-old All Blacks midfielder was set to be ruled out of the World Cup and replaced by Hurricane Ngani Laumape.

However, the All Blacks denied the rumour, telling media yesterday afternoon in Japan he wasn’t returning to New Zealand.

A potential All Blacks call-up for Laumape was news to Manawatu, who expect him to face Canterbury in a national championship match in Christchurch on Thursday night.

Speculation the injury-prone Blues midfielder was out surfaced after former rugby television commentator Hamish McKay told Radio Sport he believed there would be announcement in the next couple of hours, confirming Williams was out and Laumape would take his place.

While he didn’t offer any words, Williams posted a photo of himself and All Blacks prop Ofa Tu’ungafasi on Twitter after the All Blacks quashed the rumours.

Williams had his right leg heavily strapped at the All Blacks’ final pre-tournament training camp practice at Kashiwa in the Chiba prefecture on Saturday, before the squad relocated to Tokyo.

Laumape, who was unlucky to miss the initial 31-man squad given his superb form for the Hurricanes during the Super Rugby season, inspired Manawatu¯ to a comeback Mitre 10 Cup win over Southland in Invercargill on Saturday.

Williams would be the second All Blacks player to be ruled out of the tournament prior to the team’s opener against South Africa, with Shannon Frizell replacing Luke Jacobson.

Chiefs loose forward Jacobson was scratched on Friday due to concussion symptoms, denying the bolter a maiden World Cup with the reigning champions.