Auckland born Gibbes has won eight All Blacks caps, is 29 years old, stands at 1.94m and weighs 112kgs. He will join from the Waikato Chiefs, where he was captain for the recent Super 14 season. Gibbes was the inspirational Captain of the New Zealand Maori team for their historic win over the British and Irish Lions last summer and also featured for the All Blacks in the Lions series whitewash. Jono is currently captaining the Maori team at this summer’s Churchill Cup.
Gibbes currently has a contract with the New Zealand RFU which runs until the end of the 2006 season and he has officially requested an early release from this agreement.
Ospreys Managing Director, Mike Cuddy said: “We are delighted to announce the signing of Jono. He is a top quality international rugby player and his signing, along with that of Justin Marshall, signals our intent to be a far more competitive team in European rugby next season. Jono is a proven leader of men and will bring a wealth of experience to our squad for what is already an eagerly anticipated season.”
