Wednesday 1 June 2016 15:14, UK
Sonny Bill Williams has spurned lucrative offers to re-sign with New Zealand Rugby until after the 2019 World Cup.
Williams will switch Super Rugby teams under the new deal, moving from the Chiefs to the Blues, where he will be coached by good friend Tana Umaga.
But the contract will not stop him pursuing his interest in boxing, which Williams has credited for invigorating him and offering a unique difference from rugby's training routine.
Williams is currently working with the New Zealand sevens set-up, in the hope of securing a place in their squad for this summer's Olympic Games in Rio.
"I grew up as a league boy, I'm not going to lie," Williams told a press conference in Auckland.
"But now this is where my path is and it's an amazing feeling to be part of such a high quality team.
"I must admit when I first came back I didn't really know too much about what it means to be an All Black. Now I do. I consider myself a rugby player and I just love the environment.
"I love winning, I love the high-pressure environment. I don't know if I could get that overseas."
All Blacks coach Steve Hansen is delighted that Williams has committed his future to the cause - he will miss the visit of Wales this summer but should return for the Rugby Championship.
"He's a freakish athlete and is one of the best if not the best in the world in his position. We saw at the World Cup how he made a difference every time he played," Hansen said.
"He now has a really big role for us coming on board for three years to develop other people around him."
