New Zealand Rugby has confirmed it will give Hurricanes captain Brad Shields a "special exemption" to be available for selection for England next month.
Brad Shields Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Eligible to play for England through his parents, Shields is joining English club Wasps at the end of the Super Rugby season.
The loose forward had requested clearance from NZR to be available to play for England during the June test window, which comes before the end of this year's Super Rugby competition.
England were set to name their squad for their June series against South Africa later on Thursday night, with Shields expected to be included.
NZ Rugby head of professional rugby Chris Lendrum said while they believed there were clear legal grounds to decline a release request made by Shields' agent and the RFU, they considered the circumstances in this case exceptional.
"Our contract agreement requires Brad to be available for only New Zealand teams until the end of his term, which expires at the end of this year's Super Rugby season.
"Having said that, Brad has been an exceptional leader inside the Hurricanes environment and a loyal servant to New Zealand rugby.
"We have taken some time to carefully work through the complexities of this request, to ensure that we gave appropriate consideration to his specific circumstances. In the end, we are happy with the terms of his temporary release.
"We are extremely disappointed that the RFU chose to take this unusual step in seeking this release given that Brad has not yet played rugby in England.
"We are releasing Brad with our best wishes, and we hope to see him achieve his goal of playing international rugby in June."
Shields said he was appreciative New Zealand Rugby had considered his request.
"I know it's been a complex matter for them but I'm hugely grateful for their support on this."
- RNZ
