Blues secure Cowan's services

Former All Blacks scrum-half Jimmy Cowan will make a return to Super Rugby next season with the Auckland-based Blues. Cowan has played in England for the last two seasons after taking part in the most-recent of his 51 tests against Canada during the preliminary rounds of the 2011 World Cup. The 32-year-old has also played more than 100 Super Rugby matches for the Dunedin-based Highlanders. Since returning to New Zealand from England, he joined Tasman province in New Zealand's ITM Cup provincial tournament. Blues coach John Kirwan said Cowan would make an ideal replacement for another ex-All Blacks scrum-half, Piri Weepu, who quit the Blues at the end of the last Super Rugby season to play for London Welsh in England's Premiership. "Jimmy brings competitiveness, plenty of experience and great game awareness which is something we were really looking for," Kirwan told the Blues' official website. "We've got some good young guys coming through in Bryn Hall, Ihaia West and Simon Hickey coupled with Dan Bowden coming back but we still felt we were lacking a bit of experience through that combination. "Piri Weepu left a bit of a hole but we think Jimmy's really going to step into that role and be fundamental to the growth of this franchise." Cowan is relishing a return to Super Rugby. "I had a great time overseas but I'm really happy to be back in New Zealand and I still have a real hunger and desire to prove myself at the next level," he said. "I'm excited about moving up to Auckland to join the Blues and feel I can really contribute towards helping them achieve success."