Lock says no to Boks, again

Greg Rawlinson

North Harbour lock Greg Rawlinson has rebuffed another offer to play for the Springboks.

Springbok coach Jake White contacted the 27-year-old Rawlinson last Monday, giving him a 24-hour ultimatum to make himself available for the Boks tour to Europe next month.

But Rawlinson, who was born in Durban and lived there until he was 23, wants to be an All Black and said no to a green jersey.

He made his decision to reject White's offer after being given signals from the All Black selectors that he will be in the frame once he becomes eligible. Rawlinson will qualify for New Zealand on residency grounds in May next year.

The 2m-tall, 115kg Rawlinson has arguably been the best lock in this year's NPC and has the lineout skills, mobility, aggression and the professionalism to make an impact in the test arena.

All Black assistant coach Steve Hansen says: "Obviously he is playing very well and if he continues do so, when he is available, we will look closely at him. We think he's a very good player. But he's not available so we can't use him."

It's the second time in four months that White has made overtures to Rawlinson. White contacted Rawlinson in June before the Boks home series against France. South Africa's first choice locks Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha were both injured so White phoned Rawlinson to see if he was interested in making himself available.

As Rawlinson revealed to the Herald on Sunday last week, the offer was tempting and he gave it serious consideration.

If it had been possible for Rawlinson to continue playing for the Blues and represent South Africa, he may have committed.

But the terms of his contract with the New Zealand Rugby Union are such that he has to be eligible for the All Blacks. If he had accepted White's offer back in June then he would have been forced to terminate his NZRU contract.

That was not an option that appealed as Rawlinson is settled in New Zealand and is applying for citizenship. He would be keen to live here permanently once his football career is over.

If Rawlinson had been forced to return to South Africa in June it would have been a difficult time to try and secure a playing contract with a provincial side.

Those uncertainties made him sceptical about White's intentions. There was a concern that Rawlinson may earn a few caps then be immediately discarded once Botha and Matfield were fit again.

His selection for the Boks would have served the double purpose of filling a gap while also preventing the All Blacks from using him.

Those thoughts surfaced again last week and the lack of trust in White and the desire to live in New Zealand and commit to his adopted country led to him saying no for a second time.

Harbour coach Allan Pollock says: "I think it is an endorsement of how well Greg is playing. He has been nothing short of outstanding. Greg is committed to New Zealand. He is in two environments [North Harbour and Blues] that are showcasing his talents and he is satisfied with the progress he is making in the game and the attention he is receiving.

"He's a very organised and particular young man and I'm sure he will have done a lot of research before making this decision. We can only guess at how powerful the lure of a Springbok rugby jersey is to a South African.

"It is a long journey that he is on. He has only just come to the attention of international rugby coaches and in his eyes, he is growing his game at Harbour and the Blues. He's not one to take short cuts and he will become better."

Rawlinson is currently seeking guidance from the International Rugby Board to get clarification of when he will be eligible to play for the All Blacks.

Although he played an NPC season for Bay of Plenty in 2002, he returned home to South Africa, rendering his time here redundant towards his three-year residency.

He returned here in May 2003 to play club football on the North Shore. He's lived here continuously since then and is hopeful he will be ruled eligible in mid-May next year.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY