All Black signs for town
Hinckley rugby club lands ex-international player
A LEICESTER Tigers star and former All Blacks player has signed for Hinckley RFC.
Scott Hamilton has joined the Leicester Road outfit in a playercoach role following a glittering career - New Zealander Hamilton is a triple winner of both the Aviva Premierships and Super Rugby titles.
The winger and full-back moved to the UK in 2008 and played for Leicester Tigers for seven years, winning several titles.
Before that he played for New Zealand team The Crusaders, the most successful team in Super Rugby history.
The 36-year-old also won two caps for the All Blacks in 2006, scoring on his debut against Argentina and against South Africa in the Tri Nations.
He spent last season in a coaching-player role for Coventry.
Paul Walsh, Hinckley RFC director of rugby, said he is delighted with the signing having fought off a number of clubs for his signature.
He said: “To have a player of Scott’s skill and class with us is a massive boost for everyone at the club, and a huge step forward in our development.
“As well as making a big impact on the field, Scott’s knowledge and experience of high performance environments will help all of our players and coaches to improve themselves in every way.
“To have a player like Scott join us is a massive statement of our ambition and will help us hugely in our onward and upward development.
“As well as being a great player with a fantastic pedigree, Scott is an outstanding individual with great values and standards that align with ours as a club perfectly. We’re really looking forward to working together.”
Hamilton will join his new teammates for pre-season training on July 5.
His first appearance for the club is likely to be a friendly away at Clifton on August 13.