Sonny Bill Williams has decided to join the Crusaders and will play for Canterbury in the New Zealand's national provincial championship.
Williams wants to play for the All Blacks in the world cup and sees the Crusaders as the best place to launch his bid for a place in the All Black squad.
Williams is said to have turned down a far more lucrative deal with the ambitious Hawkes Bay outfit, which has been reported as being twice what North Harbour were prepared to pay and included luxury accommodation and a prestige car.
The former NRL star believes that playing with the likes of Dan Carter and Richie McCaw at NPC and Super rugby level will give him the best chance of playing for the All Blacks in the 2011 World Cup.
Williams has signed with the NZRU until the end of the world cup and has set three goals for length of his contract. He wants to earn All Blacks selection, to be the best All Blacks representative he can possibly be and to play in the World Cup-winning team.
The Crusaders finished the final Super14 in fourth place and are the defending NPC champions.
Williams's first match for Canterbury will be in the opening round of the NPC against Hawkes Bay at Christchurch's AMI Stadium on Friday, July 30.
Umaga, who yesterday began his duties with Counties-Manukau, said he was unaware of Williams's decision. "I do talk with him often, but we don't talk about what he's going to do," Umaga told The Press in Pukekohe.
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