Shields’ parents defend England switch

Brad Shields’ parents defend his switch from All Blacks to England

BRAD SHIELDS’ parents have defended their son’s decision to switch his international allegiance to England following his debut last Saturday. The New Zealand-born forward, 27, made his Test bow at Ellis Park in England’s 42-39 defeat by the Springboks. He qualifies as his parents were born in England, and speaking for the first time in an exclusive interview with Sportsmail, his mother Danielle, 56, said: ‘There’s lot of people born in different countries who end up representing an adopted country. It is not his bug to bear if he got chosen and someone else didn’t.’ And father Nigel, 54, concurred: ‘He may have opened up a can of worms but he certainly didn’t plan it. He has been mature and kept his dignity.’

BRAD SHIELDS’ family have bitten their tongue for too long. Now they want to defend their son’s controversial switch from New Zealand to England.

On Saturday the back-rower became the 1,399th player to play for England, coming on as a 36thminute substitute at lock for Nick Isiekwe. That Shields has been parachuted in without playing a minute on these shores has angered some.

Much has been written about the 27-year- old, the to-and-fro surrounding his release, and his choice to change allegiance. His parents, Nigel and Danielle, have kept their counsel — but now want to set the record straight.

‘It’s hard to read about it,’ his mother, 56, tells Sportsmail. ‘I defy anyone who has an opportunity and a dream like this not to choose the path that would give them that. It happens in any career, in any sport. There’s lot of people born in different countries who end up representing an adopted country.

‘Bradley did not pick himself. The selectors in England saw something that New Zealand didn’t. That’s their prerogative.’

Dad, Nigel, 54, continues: ‘ He may have opened up a can of worms but he didn’t plan it. He has been mature, kept his dignity, and kept the moral high-ground if there was one.’

‘It’s not his bug to bear if he got chosen and someone else didn’t,’ Danielle adds.

And the Shields want everyone to know one thing — despite reports to the contrary, he never turned down the All Blacks as he was never offered a place in their squad. Now that is covered it is worth telling Shields’ fascinating story. Back in Easter 1991 Danielle was seven months pregnant and intending to travel down from Nigel’s parents’ house on New Zealand’s North Island to Christchurch in the south, but Brad had other ideas.

‘I had complications with the pregnancy and Bradley was born eight weeks early but we were lucky,’ Danielle explains. ‘He was a fighter right from the word go and only in an incubator for a day.’

‘He weighed four and a half pounds, and now he’s 17 and a half stone!’ laughs Nigel. ‘It must’ve been the meat-pie sandwiches and his mother’s nachos!’

Shields owes his new career to