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When Hurricanes recruit expects to return from 'frustrating' injury
By Finn Morton
When the Hurricanes run out to Queensland Country Bank Stadium for their Super Rugby Pacific season opener on Saturday evening, they’ll be without one of their key signings.
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New Zealand Rugby and the Hurricanes confirmed last July that flyhalf Brett Cameron had signed on to play Super Rugby out of the capital in 2023.
One-Test All Black Cameron, 25, joined young playmakers Ruben Love and Aidan Morgan as options at first-five for the Hurricanes.
The Whanganui-born first-five, who had previously played for the Crusaders, was expected to challenge for the starting spot this season – if not make that No. 10 jersey his own.
But Cameron is set to miss the Hurricanes’ first match of the new campaign after tearing his calf in a preseason clash against the Blues.
The Hurricanes recruit told RugbyPass on Tuesday that he hopes to be “playing some sort of minutes” towards the backend of next week.
“It’s pretty frustrating timing obviously but it could be worse,” Cameron told RugbyPass.
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“I’m in a pretty good spot at the moment where I’m hoping to get back and playing some sort of minutes at the end of next week, all going well.”
Cameron is back in New Zealand after a one season stint in Japan. But his decision to head overseas, as reported earlier this week, wasn’t one he necessarily wanted to make.
The flyhalf had joined a decorated list of legendary names to have donned the coveted black jersey in 2018, but didn’t have a Super Rugby deal a few years later.
After a few years of “frustration” playing behind star first-five Richie Mo’unga, Cameron failed to secure another deal with any of the other New Zealand sides.
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Disaster. For a career that promised so much, this was undoubtedly a tough hurdle to overcome at just 25 years of age.
Cameron went on to star for Manawatu at provincial level of New Zealand Rugby, and put pen to paper with a club overseas.
By the time New Zealand teams expressed interest, Cameron had already committed his short-term future to Kamaishi Seawaves in Japan.
“It was a little bit of a weird time for me, finishing up down south and didn’t have a lot come up that year,” he said.
“That opportunity to go overseas was something that wasn’t my first choice, but something I had to do at that time.
“My intention was always to come back and play NPC, and hopefully get back into Super Rugby from there.
“It was a tough time but I guess teams all have their players that are signed up for a couple of years.
“I had to take it as it comes and it gave me a bit of fuel for that season of NPC where I had a move to Manawatu.
“That was good in a way, it allowed me to express myself and then do the same thing overseas.”
The Hurricanes begin their Super Rugby Pacific campaign against the Queensland Reds in Townsville on Saturday evening.
With Ruben Love also injured, Aidan Morgan has been handed the playmaking reins for the Round One clash.
