ACT Brumbies superstar David Pocock hopes a stint in Japan will help him be rugby fit when he makes his Australian comeback from a 12-month sabbatical, adding that the new test in Asia will give him a chance to mentally refresh as after signing a deal to reunite with former Wallabies coach Robbie Deans.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Pocock has signed a flexible multi-year deal with the Panasonic Wild Knights for three playing stints over the next three and a half years to end some of the uncertainty surrounding his year away from Australian rugby.
The Brumbies flanker joined the Wallabies in camp on Sunday to start preparations for a three-Test series against England in June.
But before linking with his Test teammates, Pocock finalised a three-season contract with the Wild Knights to play at the end of 2016 and 2017 as well as a stint after the World Cup in 2019.
Pocock said he opted for a long-term relationship with the Wild Knights and to align it to his Brumbies and Wallabies contracts to avoid having an "auction" on his future in the coming years. He will take a break from Brumbies and Wallabies duties next year before returning for the 2018 and 2019 seasons.
"I can work on different parts of my game over there ... I spoke to a guy like George [Smith] and he said the speed of the game in Japan challenged him to improve his game," Pocock told Fairfax Media.
"I'm hoping the same thing can happen for me. I'll play a few games after the spring tour [this year], then go back at the end of 2017 and go back after my [Brumbies and ARU contract] in 2019.
"I like the way the Wild Knights do things. I don't want to have an auction at the end of every contract, I'd rather build something longer term and I was stoked that they were willing to look at a deal like this.
"I think I'll be pretty energised after some time off and a new rugby experience."
Super Rugby is on a four-week bye for the international window, putting on hold the Brumbies' charge to a Super Rugby finals berth after their 66-5 win against the Japan Sunwolves on Saturday.
The Brumbies scored 10 tries and racked up their biggest score since 2004 as they jumped back to the top of the Australian conference.
Super Rugby will go on a four-week hiatus while the Wallabies play England before the competition resumes in July and the Brumbies and NSW Waratahs fight for Australia's guaranteed finals position.
Pocock will compete with Michael Hooper, Sean McMahon and Liam Gill for a Wallabies back-row spot for the Test series against England after joining the Wallabies in camp on Sunday.
The 28-year-old made a decision at the start of the year that he would take a break from Australian rugby next year after a decade in Super Rugby and two World Cup campaigns.
Pocock remains undecided how he will spend his time away from rugby, with a trip to southern Africa the likely option to fill his sabbatical period.
Time in southern Africa will be a world away from big-city life in Japan, but the Wild Knights are based in Ota which has an estimated population of just 75,560.
Deans was the Wallabies coach when Pocock made his Test debut in 2008 and the Wild Knights boast former Test playmaker Berrick Barnes while Sonny Bill Williams also played for the club.
Deans was in charge of the Wallabies for five years from 2008 and 2013 and oversaw Pocock's development as an international star.
There was speculation that he would sign a lucrative contract in Europe, but Pocock has opted for a relationship closer to home in a move he hopes will have him rugby fit for his Brumbies comeback in 2018.
"I'm excited by the chance to link with Robbie again, he gave me my first start with the Wallabies and I enjoyed working alongside him," Pocock said.
"Talking to guys over there, the club culture seems really good and I'm looking forward to that. One of the other appealing things to me is that the Wild Knights are based in Ota, which isn't a huge city.
"I'm not a big lover of cities, so it's good to be there. I'm not sure what I'll do with my time away from rugby, hopefully a bit of everything.
"For me it's not going back to back seasons, I'll have a good break and hopefully arrive back in Canberra in February 2017 in really good shape after experiencing a different style of rugby in Japan."
Pocock has been one of the world's best for almost a decade and is in his 11th season of Super Rugby.
He had knee reconstructions in 2013 and 2014 and the devastating injuries took a mental toll on the 28-year-old.
There has been speculation about Pocock's future since the end of the World Cup last year.
But signing deals with the ARU and the Wild Knights takes away any uncertainty and clears the way for Pocock to focus on the challenge against England and chasing a Super Rugby title with the Brumbies.
"You look at the schedule and it's pretty packed from now until December. The opportunities coming up are huge, there are challenges with the Brumbies and the Wallabies but that's the fun thing about it."
