Former All Black Weepu to join London Welsh

2011 Rugby World Cup winning All Black scrumhalf Piri Weepu has agreed to join English Premiership Rugby club London Welsh at the end of the Super Rugby season.

Thirty-one-year-old Weepu started for the All Blacks in the 2011 Rugby World Cup final against France which they won 8-7.

Weepu has fallen out of favour with the All Black selectors and played the last of his 71 Test matches against France in June 2013.

The former international will finish his season with the Auckland based Blues Super Rugby team for whom he has played 39 matches.

Weepu made his name in New Zealand Rugby playing for the Hurricanes winning 84 caps for the Wellington franchise.

Blues coach Sir John Kirwan says that Weepu will be greatly missed by the Blues.

“He’s been a great servant of the game. It’s great for him to go overseas and get a new experience,” said Kirwan.

“He’s helped us win a World Cup. He’s been a great All Black. It’s a good natural progression that he rolls on.”