England fly half Andy Goode says the chance to play Super 14 rugby is just too good a chance to turn down. His set to make his debut for the Sharks against the Crusaders in Christchurch on Friday.

Goode – who is playing for the Sharks on a loan deal, after being released by his French club Brive – linked up with his new teammates at the start of this week and he is raring to go in what he describes as his “greatest rugby adventure yet”.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, not many England players have had the opportunity to play Super Rugby at my age,” he tells rugby365.com, ahead of his bench appearance for the 2007 Super 14 finalists this Friday.

“It all happened pretty quickly for me… I’d say I got the call from [Sharks coach] John Plumtree and about four/five days later I was getting ready to board a plane to Australia.

“My agent Duncan Sandlant has been brilliant throughout and I am very, very grateful to Brive and in particular CEO Simon Gillham – who is a man of his word – for allowing me to take up this opportunity; something I never imagined I would be able to do.

“I have been lucky enough to play alongside many southern hemisphere players in Europe,” he adds, “but not many capped English players have moved the ‘other way’, so I’m really honoured to be one of the first guys to do this and, of course, to get the chance to play for a top-class team like the Sharks.”

Having played alongside the likes of former Super 14 regulars Ben Herring, Jaco van der Westhuyzen, Daryl Gibson and Aaron Mauger (to name just a few) at Leicester, not to mention playing with and against many other former Super 12/14 players in England and France, Goode is well-versed as to the demands of Super Rugby.

Says Goode: “The first person I heard from, when the news broke about me joining the Sharks, was Daryl [Gibson] – as he is now the backline coach of the Crusaders. He was immediately onto the text and I cannot wait to catch up with him.

“Purely based on what teammates of mine in England and France have said, combined with what I have seen on TV myself over the years, I simply cannot wait to test myself against some of the best players in the southern hemisphere,” he adds.

“The guys, of course, were always on about how much quicker the game over here is and the skill levels – all of which has made it that much more appealing for me to test myself.

“At the same time, this weekend I could find myself up against arguably the world’s best No.10 in Dan Carter. Next week we’ve got the Waratahs and there’s another top-notch No.10 in Berrick Barnes to test myself against… the next week is the Brumbies and Matt Giteau. I could go on, but suffice to say there’s a different challenge ahead each week – from a playing and travelling point of view – and that’s something that I’m relishing.”

At the age of 29, and after picking up 17 England caps – the last of which came in November – Goode is also hoping that this move could help him add to his tally of appearances for the 2003 World Cup winners.

“I have to spoken to [England attack coach] Brian Smith about this and he thought it was a great opportunity for me,” reveals the former Leicester Tigers points-machine. “He told me the door was not shut on me, but that Jonny [Wilkinson] and Toby [Flood] are ahead of me at the moment and that I simply need to play good rugby in order to remain in the [selection] frame.

“Hopefully this experience, in a new environment, will improve my game and allow me to have another crack at playing for England,” he adds.

“I really do have an open mind – it’s a new competition, a completely different way of playing and I’m part of a brand-new team culture. I have no doubt I will become a better player and a better person during my time with the Sharks – a team that has achieved so much over the years; in the Super 14 and the Currie Cup.”

Whilst hoping to extend his stay with the Sharks beyond their five away games in the Super 14, it was revealed this week that Goode would be linking up with English club, Worcester Warriors, in mid-year – ahead of the 2010/11 rugby season.

For now, however, it’s all about the Sharks and Goode concludes: “I am particularly excited about playing under John Smit, who has achieved a lot in the game and seems to have the same aura about him as Johnno [Martin Johnson]. But aside from Smit, there is quality across the board in this Sharks team and I hope to add value in some way myself.”

Source + Pic: rugby365.com