1
Former All Black Liam Squire announces departure from Red Hurricanes, return to New Zealand
By Online Editors
Former All Black Liam Squire's time in Japan has come to a premature end after the NTT DOCOMO Red Hurricanes loose forward announced he would remain in New Zealand to rehab an injury he suffered during the 2020 Top League season.
Squire signed with the Red Hurricanes following the 2019 Mitre 10 Cup season and played just three games for the Osaka-based side. The Top League was called to a halt after six rounds due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Squire returned to New Zealand following the cancellation of the Japanese season and a club statement released on Thursday confirmed that the former Highlander would remain in NZ to rehabilitate a lingering injury.
"I want to let you all know that I've made the hard decision to end my time with the Red Hurricanes," the statement from Squire read.
"I returned to New Zealand for treatment of my injury. I am currently rehabbing to return to field and the doctor has advised me that it is important to take the time to recover well. This decision was not one I took lightly, but is in the best interests of both the team and myself.
"I have enjoyed my time living in Osaka, making new friends and experiencing Japanese culture. I'll forever be a Red Hurricanes supporter and wish the team all the best for the upcoming season."
Squire played 24 matches for New Zealand in an injury-plagued career and was a key member of the Highlanders' 2015 title-winning squad. He also helped Tasman claim a Mitre 10 Cup Premiership win in his final season with the province last year.
Squire made himself unavailable for the All Blacks at last year's Rugby World Cup in Japan.
While the extent of the 29-year-old's injury is unknown, next season's Top League won't kick off until January next year, which suggests that Squire must be anticipating an especially long rehabilitation period.
There's been no suggestion that Squire will try and make a return to the New Zealand professional rugby scene and the loose forward may well end up returning to Japan once his rehabilitation is completed.
Trending on RugbyPass
2
Jake White: Ireland, Australia and Wales have the same problem
3
David Campese names his Springbok world player of the year winner
4
Let's be real about these All Blacks
5
Latest Comments
Turn it up. Give me your john A game would ya!
Go to commentsI didn't really get the should tone from it, but maybe because I was just reading it as my own thoughts.
What I read it as was examples of how they played well enough in every game to be able to win it.
Yeah I dunno if Ben wouldn't see it that way (someone else would for sure need to point it out to him though), I'm more in the Ben not appreciating that those close losses werent one off scenarios camp. Sure you can look at dubious decisions causing them to have to play with 14 or 13 men at the death as viable reasons but even in the games they won without such difficulties they made a real struggle of it (compared to how good some of their first half play was). This kind of article where you trying to point out the 3 losses really would most likely have been wins only really makes sense/works when your other performances make those 3 games (or endings) stand out.
There might have been a sentence here and there to ensure some good comment numbers but when he's signing off the article by saying things like ..
and..
I don't really see it. Always making sure people are upto date with the SH standing/perspective! NZ went through some tough times with so many different perspectives and reasons why, but then it was.. amusing how.. behind everyone was once they turned a corner. More of these 'unfortunate' results returned against SA and France at the start of the RWC which made it extra tasty to catch other teams out when they did bring it. So that created some 'conscious' perspective that I just kept going and sharing re thoughts on similar predicaments of other teams, I had been really confident that Wallabies displays vs NZ were real, that the Argentines can backup their thing against Aus and SA (and so obviously the rest), and current one is that England are actually consistent and improving with their attack (which everyone should get onboard with), and I'm expecting a more dominant display against Japan (even though they should have more of their experienced internationals for this one) that highlights further growth from July. 👍
Go to comments