All Black get boost as Barrett re-signs

All Black hopes of defending their World Cup in Japan have been handed a massive boost after in-form playmaker Beauden Barrett re-signed a deal with the New Zealand rugby federation through until the end of 2019. Barrett, a try scorer in last year's Rugby World Cup final, also renewed links with his Hurricanes Super Rugby club and his province Taranaki. It means he will also be available for the All Blacks when the British and Irish Lions tour next summer. "I love playing for the All Blacks and representing my country in the black jersey and I'm loving my footy at the moment," said Barrett, who has filled France-based Dan Carter's boots with aplomb, leading New Zealand to a series win over Wales in the summer and starring in the All Blacks' two opening victories in the Rugby Championship over Australia. "The All Blacks are an incredibly special team to be part of and I'm looking forward to playing my role and adding my small part to the legacy over the next few years." Barrett was also instrumental in guiding the Hurricanes to a Super Rugby title. All Blacks coach Steve Hansen said: "It's great news for the team and great news for Beauden. "He's fast becoming one of 'the' players in the world. He's been a world-class player coming off the bench for some time, he's now graduated into starting Test matches for us, and this year he's been nothing short of spectacular. "He'll continue to grow - he's not the finished product yet, by any stretch of the imagination - but as he does, I think we'll see something pretty special, so it's nice to have him signed up and secure."