When most rugby players hang up their boots - or head overseas - an announcement is made.
Adam Thomson is not like most rugby players.
He has been the cornerstone of the Highlanders for the past five years, playing all but six of the 71 games played by the franchise in that time. But what he is doing this season, and what jersey he is going to wear, if any, remains a mystery.
In the back half of last year, Thomson consistently said he was considering his options.
He is taking his time. And with no comment from the All Black loose forward, speculation and rumour is swirling.
He is off to Japan and is taking the first half of the year off; he waited too long and no franchise had any money left to sign him; he is going to be the 32nd player to join the Highlanders squad; he will join the Blues; he only wants to play a few games and no-one will agree to that; a third party deal will see him sign for the Highlanders any day; he is owed money from the Highlanders and will not play until he gets it; he has gone to league and will play for the Otago Whalers at the Oval in June.
Fine, we made that last one up, but the only person who can answer the question about the future of Adam Thomson, is Adam Thomson.
The man himself has steered clear of the discussion. He could not be contacted for this story and has never indicated, via any media platform, what he is doing this season.
When fellow loose forward Doug Tietjens got injured in pre-season training, the Highlanders tried to contact Thomson, and had no luck. They have talked to friends of his. No one knows anything.
The best indication appears to be that Thomson, who turns 31 next month, is off to Japan when its season kicks off in August.
He did not sign a New Zealand Rugby Union contract by October 30 last year, indicating he did not plan to play in this country. And the NZRU has ruled out the possibility of Thomson playing only a handful of games for the Highlanders anyway.
Thomson's body has taken a battering over the years. At the end of the last Super 15 season, the tank was well and truly empty.
It seems he has decided to put his feet up and get his body right so he can play overseas for another five years.
Japanese rugby is still completing its season and any new signings for next season will not be announced until it concludes. So, Thomson can probably not say anything about joining a Japanese club for a month or two.
General manager Roger Clark said the Highlanders were interested in signing Thomson for this season but it never eventuated.
"We tried to sign him but our presumption was that he must have signed a contract somewhere else in the world," Clark said.
"He has always said to us he would never play for anyone else in New Zealand apart from the Highlanders."
Clark said he had heard all the rumours, but the only person who could say what Thomson was going to do was the man himself.
Securing financial help from a third party to enlist Thomson had not been an option for the Highlanders.
"Our last contracted player was Ma'a Nonu and that was all our money spent.
"If he [Thomson] was available and we get an injury, then we would definitely look at that option. We never close any doors and we explore all options. I think we showed that last year with getting Mike Delany."
Clark denied speculation the Highlanders owed Thomson money. He last talked to Thomson in October last year before he went on the All Black tour.
Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph said he would love to have Thomson but the 29-test All Black missed the boat when it came to signing a contract.
Joseph had talked to Thomson pre-Christmas and said if Thomson did not want to commit to the All Blacks, it would hard to commit to the next level down.
Thomson's Twitter feed indicates he and partner Jessie Gurunathan have been holidaying in Thailand, and may be back in New Zealand soon.
