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Cape Town - The Crusaders will welcome back former player Tim Bateman as part of their 2017 Super Rugby squad.
Stuff.co.nz reports Bateman will be named in the Crusaders squad for 2017 on Wednesday, making his return to a team he played for almost a decade ago.
Bateman played 38 times for Canterbury between 2006 and 2009 and wore the Crusaders jersey on 35 occasions between 2007 and 2010.
The New Zealand Maori centre also played for Wellington and the Hurricanes between 2010 and 2014, before he moved his family to the Coca Cola club in Japan so his wife, Laura, could get access to multiple sclerosis treatment that wasn't available at home.
The family returned to Christchurch this year and purchased a flotation therapy business and Bateman made a rugby return, playing for Tasman 'B' before training with the Canterbury Mitre 10 Cup team to gain some match fitness for the New Zealand Maori tour to the United States.
