All Blacks utility back Mils Muliaina is moving from Auckland to join Waikato in New Zealand’s National Provincial Championship from next year, the Auckland Rugby Union said Wednesday.
Muliaina, who has been selected to play in the unfamiliar position of left wing against South Africa in the Tri-Nations clash in Cape Town on Saturday, will play his last season with Auckland in the National Provincial Championship this year.
The 25-year-old, who has 29 Tests to his name, will also qualify to play for the Waikato Chiefs in the revamped Super 14 competition next year.
Auckland Rugby Union chief executive David White said the union was disappointed to lose Muliaina, who usually plays at fullback or occasionally at centre.
“Auckland rugby worked very hard and exhausted all avenues to secure Mils’s services for the future and our contract offer was one of the most attractive we have put to any player in my time at the union,” White said in a statement.
“Unfortunately this has not been enough to keep him in the Auckland province.”
