Black cherishes final run with M¯aori ABs
Otere Black is savouring every last moment with the Ma¯ ori All Blacks, a team dear to his heart, as he prepares to bid farewell to New Zealand rugby at the end of the year.
The Blues first-five has signed a twoyear deal with an undisclosed team in Japan’s Top League and will head overseas at the end of Bay of Plenty’s upcoming National Provincial Championship season.
But before he says sayonara to the New Zealand game, Black will run out for the Ma¯ ori All Blacks in their twogame series against Samoa, which starts in Wellington on Saturday night.
‘‘I guess once this campaign is done
I’ll sit back and sit around the fire with my daughter, and I’ll probably think back and think ‘wow, that went by pretty quick’, but I’ve just got to make the most of every day and make the most of every opportunity over the next two weeks,’’ Black said.
‘‘The Ma¯ori All Blacks is a very special team for me being a proud Ma¯ ori boy. I grew up fully immersed in te reo Ma¯ ori and it’s not only a proud moment for me but for my family as well.
‘‘I’m still on Cloud 9 [after winning the final], but I’ve got to come down to Earth pretty quickly, and I’m really looking forward to the game on Saturday night, and it’s awesome to see everyone here in camp.’’
Black said his departure from the Blues was not linked to the high-profile return of All Blacks star Beauden Barrett from his own stint in Japan, having still enjoyed ‘‘good minutes’’ in the No. 10 jersey last year.
Instead, the 26-year-old cited a lack of opportunities for first-fives in New Zealand as the main factor for his decision to head overseas at his peak, as well as a desire to support his young family financially.
He said the timing just felt right. ‘‘There’s obviously a few reasons, but the biggest thing was it’s just a good opportunity for me to play overseas, and I think the timing was right in terms of opportunities in New Zealand.
‘‘There wasn’t a lot of opportunities for first-fives in New Zealand, so it was a timing thing, and I’ve got a young family now I’ve got to look after – that was a big motivation for me leaving.’’