WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Former All Black Charles Piutau has joined Shizuoka BlueRevs in Japan in the latest move in a rugby career which constantly has veered from convention.

Piutau was only 23 when he turned his back on the All Blacks to play in Britain, sending shockwaves through New Zealand rugby. A promising utility back, Piutau had played 17 tests and seemed likely to play many more but decided to head to Britain after missing selection for the 2015 World Cup.

New Zealanders had become accustomed to losing talented players overseas at the end of their careers but Piutau’s departure raised the fear that young players would begin leaving, even when presented with the incentive of an All Blacks jersey.

In Britain and Ireland, Piutau first played for Wasps, then Ulster before moving to the Bristol Bears in 2018 on a contract that reportedly made him the highest-paid player in Britain.

When World Rugby eligibility rules were altered to allow players who had played for one nation to change allegiance to another after a three-year gap, Piutau was one of the first high-profile players to jump at the opportunity.

He was born in Auckland, the 10th and youngest child of Tonga-born parents and has followed in the footsteps of his older brother Siale, who also played for Wasps and Bristol, in Japan and for Tonga.

Piutau already has played for Tonga in company with players such as the former All Blacks center Malakai Fekitoa and former Wallaby Israel Folau.

Piutau will play for Tonga again at the World Cup in France later this year in a group which includes world champions South Africa and top-ranked Ireland.

“I see the World Cup as the pinnacle of our game and to have the opportunity of being selected to be on that world stage and to match my abilities against the best speaks for itself,” Piutau said during a Zoom interview from Japan. “It will be, if I’m given the opportunity, my first World Cup, and just the joy and excitement just thinking of it is a lot.

“For what it means for Tonga in terms of the eligibility regulations is just a massive shift for Tier 2 nations and to see some of the guys who have been able to use that eligibility shift is exciting in itself and you’ll see that in the games at the World Cup.”

Piutau has been asked many times and resolutely insisted that he has never regretted leaving the All Blacks at such a young age.

“I’ve never looked back or regretted that decision and seeing so far how my career has panned out and I’ve just been very grateful and happy,” he said. “Going into this World Cup I have nothing to prove on the world stage. It’s just a chance to enjoy it and test my abilities.”

Piutau said he has taken lessons from every stage of his career and hopes to continue to learn in Japan Rugby League One, becoming “the best version of myself."

“The thing that I’ve learned from being part of the All Blacks was professionalism,” he said. “I was lucky enough to be part of the team when legends of the game like Richie McCaw and Dan Carter were still playing.

“So I was able to see how they would prepare for a game and soak that in. With the All Blacks jersey there was always an expectation from the country to perform and to be No. 1. To be able to deal with that pressure and play under that pressure was a skill I took out of that.”

Piutau has been hailed as one of the finest foreign players to have played in Britain, a feared counter-attacker from fullback.

“Reflecting back on my time in the UK I think I’ve definitely grown as a person and as a rugby player and been able to develop myself,” he said. “I’m grateful for all of the opportunities my clubs have given me and the time that I had.

“I probably would have liked to have won more silverware but I’ll always be grateful to those teams which will always be a big part of my life.”

He said he has wanted from an early age to experience life in Japan and the BlueRevs will offer him a new chance to develop his game.

“The speed of the game here is attractive and it looks like the time that the ball is in play is high,” he said. “I think the skill level of the competition and the players who play here is of a high caliber.

“The league is very competitive. In terms of that, I think you’ll see a lot more foreign players coming into this competition, not just from Australia and New Zealand but from other countries wanting to try out and test themselves in this competition.”

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