New Zealand Rugby has today announced that Hurricanes skipper Brad Shields has been released to potentially play in England's June Test series against the Springboks.
Shields, 27, said he was extremely happy about the outcome.
"I'm really appreciative that New Zealand Rugby has considered my request. I know it's been a complex matter for them but I'm hugely grateful for their support on this," said Shields.
New Zealand Rugby Head of Professional Rugby's Chris Lendrum said Shields has been temporarily released to be made available for selection of Eddie Jones' England squad.
"We have taken some time to carefully work through the complexities of this request, to ensure that we gave appropriate consideration to his specific circumstances. In the end, we are happy with the terms of his temporary release," said Lendrum.
"We are extremely disappointed that the RFU chose to take this unusual step in seeking this release given that Brad has not yet played rugby in England.
"We are releasing Brad with our best wishes, and we hope to see him achieve his goal of playing international rugby in June."
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