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Super Rugby
Super Rugby teams chase SBW
ESPNscrum Staff
July 26, 2011
Sonny Bill Williams trains ahead of New Zealand's clash with South Africa
© Getty Images
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Sonny Bill Williams will listen to offers from three Super Rugby franchises after confirming he will stay in New Zealand after the Rugby World Cup. The Crusaders, Chiefs and Blues will fight it out to sign the All Blacks centre, who has yet to decide where to play his rugby next season. Williams is in Wellington preparing for New Zealand's Tri-Nations clash with South Africa on Saturday and wants to tie-up a one-year extension to his NZRU contract before the World Cup. "At this stage it's just one more year but things could change," he said. "It just keeps me on my toes, like I've said before, my year to year contracts. Chiefs, Blues or Crusaders, but it's tough, I'm just torn in three directions." The 25-year-old revealed that he had planned to leave New Zealand following the Rugby World Cup, which finishes in October. But he was so overwhelmed by the support he received from the New Zealand rugby public that he decided to stay in his homeland. "I think when I first came it was just to make myself available to try and make the World Cup squad and then go back offshore and do my trade over there," Williams said. "But just the amount of support, all generations from old people to young people, the amount of support is really humbling and at the same time really cool. "I've known for a long time what the All Black brand is and what it's about. When you're living in France and young kids are walking around that can't even speak English, wearing All Blacks jerseys, you know that the All Black brand is pretty big. But what surprised me is the amount of support I've got back here." Williams is also keen to continue his boxing career and will again insist on a clause in his contract that will allow him to don his gloves again. © ESPN EMEA Ltd
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