Israel Dogg Has Made A Decision On His Future

Israel Dagg has revealed that he has re-signed with the New Zealand Rugby Union until the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

Dagg revealed the news in a video on his Instagram page on Monday.

The news comes after Dagg’s New Zealand team-mate Ben Smith announced he was also staying in the country earlier this month.

All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen said:

“To have a player of Israel’s ability and versatility re-sign is a major lift for all levels of New Zealand Rugby.

“We appreciate the decision ‘Izzy’ and his wife Daisy have made and to be able to plan the future, knowing that we’ll have him involved makes life so much easier for us all, and we look forward to the challenges ahead.

“Having secured two key players back to back, I think it’s important to again pay tribute to all the parties involved in the deal, including the Essentially Group and everyone at New Zealand Rugby. This is a massive achievement and their role in getting two big deals across the line should be recognised.”

Crusaders head coach Scott Robertson commended Dagg’s sense of loyalty and pride in the teams he represents.

“We have an idea about the sort of offers that players of Israel’s calibre are presented with from overseas, and it can never be easy for a player to turn that down. But Izzy is a player who, for all of his natural talent, has never taken his place in a team for granted. He has experienced disappointment, and that has only increased his appreciation and determination. He is such a positive influence on this team, on and off the field, so we couldn’t be happier to have him sticking around,”