Springbok Habana wants to play in Top 14;
Williams wins IRB Player of the Year award
24 November 2008
Former IRB Player of the Year Bryan Habana
has confirmed that he is eyeing a move to France’s Top 14
next season.
The Springbok flyer told the Afrikaans
newspaper Sondag that he expects to be playing club rugby in
Europe next year after his contract runs out with the Bulls,
his current club.
“I can definitely see myself playing in
Europe. For now it’s concentrating on the Springboks and
when the end of my contract comes up I don’t think I’ll see
myself going to England, Scotland or Wales. It’s a little
bit too cold, too wet and too far from South Africa,” he
said.
Habana, who scored a late try in South
Africa’s record 42-6 victory against England at Twickenham
on Saturday, said his future preference would be a spell
with a Top 14 club.
“The South of France is wonderful and being
in France last year it grew in my heart. To experience
something different and set new goals is definitely part of
my future.
“I really can’t see myself in England ‘ I’d
have to really, really get a good offer to go there,” he
added.
But Habana said his focus now was on helping
the Springboks beat the British and Irish Lions this winter.
“I’ve always had two goals – one to win the
World Cup and the other to beat the British Lions. Hopefully
next year I can fulfil the second one.”
Meanwhile, Habana was in London on Sunday
evening to hand over his IRB Player of the Year crown to
fellow wing Shane Williams, who became the first
Welsh player to lift the title.
Williams beat off
competition from his national captain Ryan Jones, New
Zealand’s 2005 winner Dan Carter, Stade Francais’ Italian
captain Sergio Parisse and Scotland scrum half Mike Blair.
Williams won the coveted award after scoring
six tries during Wales’ Six Nations Grand Slam, taking his
overall tally to 43 in 60 internationals.
“It’s been quite mad to be honest,” he said
on reflection after winning the award. “It’s been a hell of
a year and this has just capped it off really. It’s the
biggest honour you can get as an individual in rugby and
it’s totally overwhelming.”
Elsewhere, it was a virtual clean sweep for
New Zealand with Graham Henry winning Coach of the Year, the
All Blacks winning Team of the Year and Kiwis DJ Forbes and
Luke Braid taking the Sevens Player of the Year and Junior
Player of the Year awards respectively.
Former French international Philippe Sella,
who won 111 international caps, was also at the awards
ceremony after becoming one of five new inductees to the IRB
Hall of Fame.
* Controversial winger Rupeni Caucaunibuca
is back at ProD2 club SU Agen, the team he either quit or
was sacked from last season according to which story you
believe.
The
Fijian, who was recently linked with English club Leicester
Tigers, started a two-week trial with Agen on Monday.
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