KEY POINTS:
Former All Black Andrew Blowers is to return to English club rugby.
The 31-year-old flanker is off to Bristol, after being released from his contracts with the New Zealand and Auckland unions.
Blowers returned to New Zealand last year after playing for another English club, Northampton, and in Japan.
He was drafted into the Highlanders' Super 14 squad last season but missed the whole campaign through injury.
He then played for Auckland in the Air New Zealand Cup and went on to be picked in the Blues' wider training group.
New Zealand Rugby Union deputy chief executive Steve Tew said it was disappointing that Blowers was leaving but the union accepted his reasons.
As part of Blowers' release, the NZRU had received a substantial payment from Bristol, he said.
Blowers was 21 when he made his All Black debut in 1996 and went on to play 11 tests.
His team-mates at Bristol will include Samoan back Brian Lima and former Waikato pair David Hill and Sean Hohneck.
- NZPA
