It may come as a surprise to those who associate Ali Williams with a Spiderman suit rather than a collar and tie, but the All Black has been appointed to the board of the Nottingham Rugby Club.
Williams played four matches for Nottingham in central England during his month at the club this year - which included a final - as he came back from a series of Achilles tendon injuries and two years out of the game.
Rejoining his Blues franchise after his stint abroad, he was successful in making the All Blacks World Cup squad and now wants to return the favour.
Williams said: "Nottingham played a huge part in my return to rugby and I owe them a lot. I am a huge supporter of the club and after starting me off on the road to recovery I feel a real affinity with the people at Nottingham Rugby and want to repay the favour.''
A media release from the club said Williams would "take up a position on the board of directors, offering an advisory role to the club, helping to strengthen the pathway at Nottingham for players from the southern hemisphere''.
It is understood that he will consult from New Zealand rather than travel to England for meetings.
Williams added: "Nottingham's game is constantly improving and the team are on the rise. I hope to bring my playing experiences and knowledge of worldwide rugby to the club, ensuring the game continues to be the best it can be and hopefully help the club on its way to the Premiership.''
Director of rugby Glenn Delaney said: "Ali is a fantastic player with years of experience at the very top of world rugby. He has a great deal of knowledge about the game, especially in the southern hemisphere and we are excited about the prospect of him returning to Meadow Lane. We had a great win against second place London Welsh last week, but we can't stand still and will have to continue to improve if we want to challenge for a place in the Premiership. Ali's appointment will help us do just that.''
Williams, 30, has played 73 tests for the All Blacks and is known to be someone who prefers dancing to his own tune.
He spent a season at the Crusaders in 2008, a year in which they won their seventh title, and attended a media session at the franchise wearing a Spiderman outfit, saying: "I don't want to be a hero or anything, I just want to help out.''
