(Recasts, adds quotes, changes dateline from Wellington)
By James Gray
AUCKLAND, Oct 6 (Reuter) - All Black number eight Zinzan Brooke, one of the finest players in New Zealand's distinguished rugby history, said on Monday he would leave his country to take up a contract in England next year.
Brooke, a veteran of 54 tests during a 10-year reign behind the All Black scrum, said he had reached agreement with the New Zealand Rugby Football Union (NZRFU) to end his playing days in New Zealand this year.
Brooke will be unavailable for all rugby from the end of 1997 until his NZRFU contract expires in August 1998, when he will move to England to play for Harlequins in a two-year deal.
He will, however, be available for the upcoming All Black tour of Britain in November and December.
Speaking at a news conference convened at his old rugby club, Marist Old Boys, the 32-year-old Auckland captain said he felt the end of 1997 was the right time to get out.
``I love my rugby. I thrive in the All Black environment and the past two years of the professional era have been the icing on the cake of decade of international rugby,'' he said.
``But 10 years is a long time. I need a change, and for me, it's the right time to step down. My gut feeling was that it was the right decision to make.''
All Black coach John Hart was lavish in his praise for Brooke, whose style of play broke the mould.
``There is no other player that has the range of skills, including drop kicking, in the loose forwards that this fellow has,'' Hart said.
``On the field he has brought abilities to loose forward play that no other player brought.
``He has done things that no player can do. He is immensely competitive, but he also has immense flair.
``He's one of the hardest men you could get, so you don't often get the mixture of absolute hardness and flair.
``The other unique issue is his tactical appreciation. He has an unbelievable grasp of the game,'' Hart said.
Brooke's career spanned the introduction of professionalism and he now features on a ``rich list'' compiled by New Zealand business newspaper National Business Review'' as a millionaire.
Brooke rated putting on the All Black jersey for the first time as one of the major highlights of his career.
Another was learning the haka (Maori challenge) on the eve of his first test appearance, against Argentina in the 1987 World Cup, which was won by New Zealand.
Winning the test series against arch foes South Africa in 1996 was ``the pinnacle.''
``Topping it off was one of those little drop goals, that was pretty awesome,'' he said in reference to his successful dropped goal against England in the 1995 World Cup semi-final.
Asked to rate the most difficult international side, Brooke named South Africa and added England would be difficult.
But the hardest opponents of all were New Zealand teams, always eager to knock Auckland off its perch as the best provincial team in the country, he said.
The All Blacks will play two tests against England and one each against Ireland and Wales during their tour to Britain, starting next month.
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