England veteran Burns joins Highlanders for 2023 Tremendous Rugby season

Skilled England fly-half Freddie Burns will be a part of Tremendous Rugby Pacific facet the Highlanders for the 2023 season, the New Zealand franchise confirmed Monday.

The 32-year-old has been granted an early launch from his present Leicester Tigers contract to signal for the Dunedin-based Highlanders, in keeping with the English Premiership facet.

“As a younger lad I grew up watching Tremendous rugby within the early hours,” Burns stated in a press release.

“To have the chance to characterize such a prestigious membership within the 2023 Tremendous Rugby Pacific season is a large honour.”

Burns, who beforehand spent three years at English facet Tub, is the second worldwide again to hitch the Highlanders for 2023 after Argentinian winger Martin Bogado.

Burns, who began his profession at Gloucester, has made 5 appearances for England.

He performed 114 instances for Leicester in two separate stints and chalked up 794 factors together with a last-gasp drop objective off the bench within the 2022 English Premiership ultimate to seal a 15-12 win over Saracens.

In 2021, Burns additionally had a short stint at Japanese facet Toyota Jido Shokki earlier than returning to Leicester.

Highlanders coach Clarke Dermody stated Burns’ arrival will likely be “essential” within the quantity 10 shirt, the place the Highlanders struggled final season.

“Final 12 months we had been uncovered at 10 as a consequence of a run of accidents,” Dermody defined.

“Freddie’s arrival will present us with that additional insurance coverage towards that state of affairs taking part in out once more in 2023.”

The Highlanders kick off their 2023 marketing campaign at residence towards final season’s crushed finalists the Blues on February 25.

Burns follows within the footsteps of ex-England flanker James Haskell, who performed for the Highlanders in 2012.

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