Rugby: Pocock re-signs with ARU

David Pocock.
David Pocock.
David Pocock is unsure exactly what he'll do with his year off from Australian rugby, but hopes it will freshen him up for at least two more Super Rugby campaigns and another World Cup.

The superstar Wallabies flanker turned down the chance to be the world's highest-paid rugby player to agree to a new deal with the Australian Rugby Union and Brumbies for 2018 and 2019.

The flexible contract allows for a sabbatical from the game in 2017.

It's a huge coup for both the ARU and Brumbies, who had been competing with overseas clubs offering more money.

Among them was English outfit Wasps, who were reportedly prepared to pay him more than $A2.8 million a season.

But Pocock said he was always keen to stay in Canberra.

"It's a little bit unusual having some time off next year, so I guess that's why it took a little bit longer," he said on Wednesday after months of negotiations.

"It was just to try and get all those details down and sort it out."

There's speculation Pocock might play a stint in Japan, France or England next year, or take up the opportunity to study in the United States or at Cambridge or Oxford universities in the UK.

But the 27-year-old admitted he didn't really know what lay ahead.

"There's been a bunch of things thrown out there but none of them are true that I've heard," he said.

"We'll wait and see. That'll be the exciting thing, just getting away, freshening up and really coming back excited and hopefully physically and mentally good to go.

"This is my 11th season of professional rugby and I really want to continue, but I feel like a bit of a break will be good for the mind, good for the body and probably good for the soul too."

Zimbabwean-born Pocock said his experience at last year's World Cup was a huge part of why he chose to stay in Australia and have a crack at the 2019 showpiece in Japan.

Both Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham and Wallabies mentor Michael Cheika were supportive of his decision to take 12 months off, and have been working closely on how he will transition back into the game.

"For him to commit to the end of 2019 shows he truly believes in the direction the Wallabies are heading in and how passionate he is about performing at his highest level for Australia," Cheika said.

Larkham labelled Pocock one of the best rugby players in the world, and had shown over the past year how valuable he is to both the Brumbies and Wallabies on and off the field.

He had fought through some of the toughest times of his career with the club, including two season-ending knee reconstructions since joining them in 2013.

"We saw last year that after two years out of the game, he came back into Super Rugby and excelled at the next level as well [at the World Cup]," Larkham said.

Pocock will be available for the remainder of the Super Rugby season, as well as the Wallabies' three-test series against England in June, the Rugby Championship and Australia's end-of-year tour to Europe.

He is slated to play in Sunday morning's (AEDT) match against the Stormers in Cape Town despite breaking his nose in last week's win over the Western Force in Perth.

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