“I just had to cherry-pick Gloucester,” says All Black Jimmy Cowan

All Black scrum-half Jimmy Cowan revealed he has joined Gloucester because of the club’s ‘parochialism’ and argued that he heads to Kingsholm to reignite, rather than wind down, his career.
Cowan, who has just become only the second Kiwi after Tana Umaga, to have played 50 Tests for New Zealand, 100 games in Super rugby, with the Highlanders, and 100 matches for his province, Southland.
Neither of his clubs rank among the glamour teams of New Zealand but Cowan, 30, never once agitated for a move, choosing to stay loyal even if it came at the expense of further All Blacks caps.
And while other teams offered more money in more fashionable locations, it was the parallels with Southland that swung Cowan’s decision in favour of the Cherry & Whites.
“I was approaching 30 so I felt, post World Cup, I’d achieved what I had set out to in New Zealand once I’d got past these milestones in Super Rugby and the ITM Cup,” Cowan told The Rugby Paper from New Zealand.
“You know within yourself when the right time is to move on and I just felt there were a lot of young guys coming through the system in New Zealand rugby right now.
“It was time to move on and Gloucester were a team I was excited about. They remind me a lot of home – a passionate, parochial crowd fanbase and rugby in Gloucester is the No.1 sport.
“I had a few offers but I was in regular contact with Gloucester and I just like what they were about. They try to bring a lot of their own players through the academy system, they don’t rely on many imports.
“With their fanbase it is pretty parochial and it reminds a lot of where I play rugby at Southland.
“Parochialism was installed in me at a young age. I owe a lot to the people at Southland for standing by me through the highs and lows of the sport. That is something I cherish and I wanted a club with similar values.
“I pride myself on loyalty and people know that. It’s the way I play the game, too. I need to play with a lot of pride and so I chose a club I felt reflected those values.”
While never, perhaps, the most naturally talented scrum-half, Cowan has used every drop of ability through sheer bloody mindedness.
His defence is borderline aggressive and he can act as a fourth back rower at times while his basics are good enough to be rated by Dan Carter as his favourite half-back partner.
His wealth of experience will be welcomed by a Gloucester backline high on natural talent but short on leaders and Cowan – due to arrive by the start of October – is relishing the prospect of his new environment.
He said: “By no means am I going there to finish up, I’m going there to revitalise my career with a new challenge of rugby in the Premiership.
“The style of the Premiership was another driving force behind me signing for Gloucester – I felt that the style of rugby suits my game, keeping the ball in front of the forwards. I don’t shy away from the contact and I enjoy that attritional type of rugby.
“I’m excited by working with guys like Freddie Burns – who looks a huge talent – and providing the forwards do their job I’m sure they’ll unleash some talent in the backs.
“It looks exciting and I can’t wait to get over there to get involved. I’ll be pretty head down going into a new environment, I have to go in there and put my best foot forward. By no means do I think I’ll automatically be starting, I have to earn the shirt and I’m looking forward to that.”
DANIEL SCHOFIELD