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Familiar face set to return for Crusaders
By Online Editors
2019 will see the return of a familiar face, with loose forward Whetu Douglas set to rejoin the Crusaders and link up with Mitre 10 Cup side Canterbury, committing to both for the next two seasons.
The 27-year-old Douglas was called in to the Crusaders as injury last season and had an immediate impact on the team, coaches, and fans alike. He scored three tries in his six matches with the side.
Douglas left New Zealand with his young family following his stint in Super Rugby, to honour a contract with Italian PRO14 side Benetton Treviso.
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Crusaders Head Coach Scott Robertson said after his whirlwind introduction to Super Rugby, the club is thrilled to welcome Douglas back in 2019.
“Whetu was a standout player in our 2017 season. He joined the squad as injury cover, slotted in to our team environment effortlessly and became a crowd favourite very early on," Robertson said.
“He’s the ultimate team man - humble and hardworking – and he holds great Mana among our group. Whetu has a phenomenal attitude and a real willingness to dig deep for his team mates, so we’re excited to have him commit for the next two seasons, and look forward to having him back in a Crusaders jersey in 2019.”
Douglas represented Waikato from 2013 to 2016 and was named in the Maori All Blacks squad for the first time in 2016, for their end of year tour to Chicago, London and Ireland.
Douglas said he was looking forward to continuing his career in Christchurch.
"Not only am I excited to be playing in New Zealand and in the Super Rugby competition, I am excited and honoured to be joining the Crusaders and Canterbury for the next two years. The history of excellence in this region I believe, is the best fit for me to reach my full potential as a professional rugby player," Douglas said.
"I am grateful for this opportunity, and my family and I look forward to joining the Christchurch community soon."
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Latest Comments
SCW really dislikes Eddie, doesn't he?
His words in 2019 before the RWC final that he now says should have resulted in Eddie's firing:
"Was Saturday’s sensational World Cup semi-final win over New Zealand England’s greatest ever performance? Yes, unquestionably, would be my answer."
So let's fire the coach one game later? Duh!
Go to commentsIreland have every right to back themselves for a win. But the key variable has little to do with recent record etc.
The reality is that Ireland are a settled team with tons of continuity, an established style, and a good depth chart, whereas NZ are fundamentally rebuilding. The questions are all about what Razor is doing and how far along he is in that program.
NZ are very close to really clicking. Against England all of the chatter is about how England could have closed out a win, but failed to do so. This has obscured the observation that NZ were by far the more creative and effective in attack, beyond the 3-1 try differential and disallowed tries. They gave away a lot of unnecessary penalties, and made many simple errors (including knock-ons and loose kicks). Those things are very fixable, and when they do so we are once again going to be staring at a formidable NZ team.
Last week we heard the England fans talking confidently about their chances against NZ, but England did not end up looking like the better team on the field or the scoreboard. The England defense was impressive enough, but still could not stop the tries.
Ireland certainly has a better chance, of course, but NZ is improving fast, and I would not be surprised at a convincing All Black win this week. It may turn on whether NZ can cut out the simple mistakes.
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