All Blacks ace Greg Rawlinson arrived at Worcester Warriors today and immediately revealed he can hardly wait “to get stuck in” for his new club.
New signing Rawlinson, who has made three appearances for New Zealand, met his new team-mates for the first time on Thursday morning after checking into Sixways to start his new career at the club until 2010.
The former Auckland Blues player is now set to make his Worcester debut in the crunch Guinness Premiership clash with Sale Sharks next Friday.
And the giant 28-year-old lock, who weighs 18 stone and stands a colossal 6ft 7in, can hardly wait to get his teeth in English rugby.
“It’s great to finally be here and now I can hardly wait to get started and get stuck in for Warriors,” said Rawlinson.
“Towards the end of the Air New Zealand Cup I was beginning to feel it but now I have had a rest, recharged the batteries and want to give everything for my new club and the supporters here.
“The stadium looks superb and it was great to meet the guys, I chatted to guys like Pat Sanderson and the coaching staff before having a few lineouts this morning. The players are really easy to get on with and the environment seems enjoyable.
“Now I just want to settle down, watch the game at the weekend from the stands and meet some of the fans while sampling the Sixways atmosphere. Then it is the big one with Sale and, hopefully, my big debut for Warriors.”
Rawlinson, who was born in South Africa and moved to New Zealand in 2002, has built up a big reputation down under.
The second row has impressed on the international stage after rejecting overtures from the Springboks to remain in All Black contention. He was rewarded with a call-up to face Ireland in June 2006. In the process, Rawlinson became only the second ever South African-born All Black, the other being Andrew Mehrtens who was also born in Durban.
The lock left New Zealand as one of the best lineout forwards and scummagers in the Super 14. But now he knows he has to prove himself all over again in the Guinness Premiership and to do that he plans to add something extra to Warriors.
“I will bring my own style of aggression to the side and I’m a player who likes to get his hands on the ball,” said Rawlinson, who qualifies as a non-overseas player via his South African passport and Kolpak regulations.
“I feel I can also add something to the pack, because of what I have learnt in the Super 14, and also to the lineout. This is an exciting time for me and I really want to make a name for myself at Warriors.
“It’s great to see Sam Tuitupou here and the new guys adding to what is already a strong squad. The only way is up for this team and I want to be a big part of that and become a better player.”
Rawlinson – nicknamed Dolph because of his similarities to actor Dolph Lundgren – admits he was disappointed not to get his Warriors debut after arriving early after red tape denied him a taste of the action against Montauban in the European Challenge Cup.
But he will be in the stands to cheer on his new team-mates and is convinced the Warriors will soon be climbing up the Guinness Premiership table.
“I watched a few of the games back in New Zealand on the sports channel and the club send me some DVDs of games. The guys have been on the wrong end of some close games and I’m sure we will soon be going in the right direction,” he added.
“I want to help the boys continue to turn things around. It’s a big step up from National One and the club has done really well to stay in the top-flight the last few seasons.
“But now we want to be challenging at the other end of the table; that is what I have come here to be part of over the next few seasons and hopefully even longer.”
