Ex-Black Rams centre Ma’a Nonu, 44, joins the Sharks

All Blacks great and former Black Rams Tokyo centre Ma’a Nonu has extended his illustrious career by joining South African URC side the Sharks.

Two-time World Cup winner Nonu, 44, made 12 appearances for Black Rams Tokyo in the 2011-2012 Top League (precursor to Japan Rugby League One) season, scoring six tries.

Durban-based Sharks are coached by former Saitama Wild Knights full-back JP Pietersen and captained by ex-Munakata Sanix Blues (disbanded in 2022) centre André Esterhuizen.

The URC side announced the shock arrival of the 103-cap All Black, a World Cup winner in 2011 and 2015, on Saturday.

Nonu, who was teammates with Pietersen during his first stint with Top 14 giants Toulon, will be part of the club’s high-performance mentorship programme after leaving the French side who he initially returned to as injury cover last year.

The former Hurricanes midfielder will primarily work with the younger members of the squad such as 18-year-old full-back Zekhethelo Siyaya who made his URC bow in the April loss to the Ospreys in Bridgend.

© Black Rams Tokyo

South African outlet Rapport revealed that Nonu, who has played in New Zealand, Japan, France and America, is expected to have a playing role and will act as cover for Esterhuizen when he is away on Springboks duty.

“Through his long-standing relationship with head coach JP Pietersen and a shared belief in developing world-class people as well as players, Durban became the ideal environment for Nonu to embrace the opportunity to give back to the game by investing in the next generation of talent,” read a club statement.

Sharks CEO Shaun Bryans said: “Opportunities for someone of Ma’a’s calibre to spend time in our environment don’t come around often.

“While his achievements on field are exceptional, it is his professionalism, leadership and understanding of what it takes to consistently perform at the highest level, that makes this such an exciting opportunity for our club.

“As we continue to build for the future, exposing our environment to world-class performers who have achieved sustained success is invaluable. His presence over the next few months will add significant value to our playing group through the mentorship, standards and rugby knowledge he will share with our team every day.”

© Black Rams Tokyo

Head coach Pietersen believes that the New Zealand star will help to impresses upon the club’s younger members the standards required to be a first-class professional.

“The best players don’t just leave memories, they leave standards. That’s what Ma’a brings. Every conversation, every training session and every interaction is an opportunity for our players to learn what excellence looks like.”

Nonu explained that the opportunity to work in Durban, to reunite with Pietersen and the club's exciting crop of young talent, ensured that it was an easy decision to decide to move to South Africa.

“The Sharks are one of the world’s most iconic rugby clubs and Durban has always been a special place for me to travel to. One of my earliest away matches in Super Rugby was played here, and I’ve carried fond memories of this city and its passionate rugby fans ever since.

“I have immense respect for JP,” added Nonu.

“We competed against each other for many years, and I’m looking forward to working with him and the team.

“This is a great opportunity to give back to the game. Working alongside the future stars of our sport is exciting, and I’m looking forward to doing everything I can to help the club during my time there.”