KEY POINTS:
Unwanted All Black wing Rico Gear looks likely to play out the remainder of his New Zealand rugby career for Canterbury.
It is understood the Canterbury Rugby Union will today announce the signing of Gear, 29, for the rest of the Air New Zealand Cup season.
It will end the winger's rocky tenure with Tasman, the union he is contracted to but has been reluctant to play for, as his young family reside in Christchurch.
Gear has taken up his All Blacks option of a two-week break and it seems his return to the field will be in red and black rather than for the combined Nelson Bays-Marlborough team he played for three times in their inaugural 2006 season.
Officials from Canterbury and Tasman were unavailable for comment last night.
Gear signed for Nelson Bays from North Harbour two years ago as a back-door route to the Crusaders Super franchise after starring for them as a draft player.
He could not join Canterbury last year because New Zealand Rugby Union rules allowed no more than one All Black to be signed in a calendar year.
Canterbury's quota was filled by Bay of Plenty halfback Kevin Senio.
Gear's wife Taina and 3-month-old son Whaimauri Hosea live in Christchurch although they will all shift to England in December when Gear begins a three-year contract with Worcester.
Tasman director of rugby Todd Blackadder expressed frustration at the uncertainty surrounding Gear's availability.
"We are trying to find out what's going down, but at the moment we just don't know. We just want a bit of clarity," Blackadder said.
"The media are after it and there's been a lot of speculation. We are talking to Rico and his agent. At the end of the day we don't want anyone who doesn't want to be here."
Former All Blacks, Canterbury and Crusaders winger Caleb Ralph has also missed Tasman's first two games but Blackadder said there was always an understanding Ralph would be given a break.
A world-class winger, Gear missed selection for the All Blacks' World Cup squad.
His 20th and final game for the All Blacks was the loss to Australia at Melbourne in June, where he scored his 13th try. He was one of six All Blacks fined and reprimanded for a late night drinking session leading up to last month's Bledisloe Cup test in Auckland.
- NZPA
