Break.

All Blacks lock Brodie Retallick is set to leave New Zealand after the Rugby World Cup in Japan – but only temporarily.

The former World Player of the Year has signed a new deal with New Zealand Rugby (NZR) until after the 2023 Rugby World Cup but is set to take a two-year hiatus from next season.

Retallick won’t play for the All Blacks and Waikato Chiefs while he togs out for an unnamed Japanese team for two seasons, before returning to New Zealand in May 2021, when he is contracted to resume his international and Super Rugby career until the end of 2023.

“I’ve been playing high-octane rugby with the Chiefs and All Blacks since 2012 and… I’ve decided to give my body a break from the New Zealand game so that ultimately I can extend my career here,” Retallick said.

Retallick will not be available for international selection while he is in Japan, unlike the contract recently signed by fellow second-row forward Sam Whitelock, who will remain an international while playing Top League in 2020.