Aaron Cruden, the former All Blacks fly-half who won the World Cup, has disclosed that he declined an Ulster offer recently in order to put his family first.
The 50-time international cap holder hasn’t had a club since leaving Suntory Sungoliath in May, but he was asked to join Ravenhill for the upcoming season, giving him the opportunity to resume his career.
With Billy Burns set to leave for Munster in the summer, Ulster is in need of a fly-half, since its existing in-house alternatives are inexperienced.
Having just played a short number of games in the 10 jersey, Nathan Doak, who recently switched from scrum-half, is still developing at the position, while Jake Flannery doesn’t seem to be trusted at this time.
After that, it looks like Academy fly-half James Humphreys will be next in line, while Ireland Under-20 standout Jack Murphy will travel up north to Belfast to join his father and Ulster temporary head coach Richie.
However, Cruden acknowledged in a video interview with Sky Sport NZ’s Aotearoa Rugby Pod that he was asked to provide Ulster a steady and experienced hand at the wheel, but he had to say to
The 2011 World Cup champion said, “I had a good phone call with the crew at Ulster and they were great, to be fair, really cool.” He also declined a transfer to the Crusaders in his native nation.
“It goes without saying that my wife and I have a passion for seeing the world. As things are in our family right now, we have another kid on the way, so the timing isn’t quite right.
“I did let them know how much I valued their curiosity. I’m a 35-year-old veteran with some game left in me, obviously!
“Most of the rugby-related decisions I’ve made, particularly this year, have been centered around my family and making sure it works for everyone. From a professional standpoint, it was difficult, but as a competitor, I’m still eager to play. But for now, I should put my family first.
Now that their initial option has been rejected, it is unclear if Ulster will pursue a non-Irish qualified fly-half further or if this was just a free agent’s opportunistic move.
It is thought that the team is happy with Doak and Flannery as its senior choices at the position going future, but it would be interesting to see whether this remains the case if other players become available.
