Former All Blacks captain Tana Umaga will make an early comeback to Super Rugby after being named in the Waikato Chiefs’ starting line-up for Saturday’s Super 15 match against the ACT Brumbies.
SuperSport
Umaga, 37, will play at inside centre for the Canberra match, his first in Super rugby since he was a Wellington Hurricanes regular four years ago.
Chiefs coach Ian Foster has paired the 74-test veteran with Dwayne Sweeney in a strong Chiefs backline which also includes current All Blacks fullback Mils Muliaina.
Foster said while Umaga had been out of Super Rugby for some time, playing and coaching in France since his international retirement, “I think the best way to get true value out of him in this campaign is to give him that early taste of it.”