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Cape Town - The Chiefs have responded to their lock exodus with the signing of lock Dominic Bird from the Crusaders for two years.
According to the 3News website, the Chiefs have lost the services of Matt Symons and Michael Fitzgerald
from the engine room. Symons is heading to London Irish while
Fitzgerald will become a Leicester Tiger.
Chiefs coach Dave Rennie believes the 120kg, 206cm player will complement his forward pack well.
"Men of Dominic’s dimensions and athleticism are a rarity in our game. That excites us," said Rennie.
"He has impressed us with his attitude, his enthusiasm and his determination to develop his game. He’ll fit in well here."
Bird, 24, made his Super Rugby debut in 2013 for the Crusaders, having
played 31 matches for them. He made his All Blacks debut against Japan
in 2013 and was also part of the 2011 New Zealand Under-20 Junior World
Cup winning team alongside Brodie Retallick and Sam Cane.
Bird’s signing sees him join former Crusaders team-mate, tighthead prop Nepo Laulala, as Chiefs recruits for the 2016 and 2017 Super Rugby seasons.
