Nadolo joins Montpellier rush
Nadolo confirmed that he will move to France to play for Montpellier after the 2016 Super Rugby season.
The French outfit – coached by former World Cup-winning Springbok mentor Jake White has lured an array of big names to the city in southern France, the capital of the Languedoc-Roussillon region.
The big name imports who headed the eighth largest city of France include Jannie du Plessis (South Africa/Sharks), Bismarck du Plessis (South Africa/Sharks), Schalk van der Merwe (South Africa/Lions), Paul Willemse (South Africa/Grenoble), Jacques du Plessis (South Africa/Bulls), Wiaan Liebenberg (South Africa/Bulls), Pierre Spies (South Africa/Bulls), Nic White (Australia/Brumbies), Cameron Wright (South Africa/Sharks), Demetri Catrakilis (South Africa/Stormers), Seveci Nakailagi (Fiji), Frans Steyn (South Africa/Sharks), Jessie Mogg (Australia/Brumbies), Craig Burden (South Africa/Toulon), Johannes Roux (South Africa/Cheetahs), Jacobie Adriaanse (South Africa/Scarlets) and CJ van der Linde (South Africa/Eastern Province Kings).
Nadolo said he is still loving being a part of the Crusaders, but was excited to receive an opportunity to play again in France after a stint over there with Bourgoin in the 2010-11 season.
"I am hugely grateful for my time at the Crusaders and I can't wait to get into the 2016 season," Nadolo said.
"I have learnt so much here and really developed my game thanks to the support and advice from the coaches and other team staff here at the Crusaders.
"I honestly never thought, before getting offered a position with the Crusaders, that I would get to play Super Rugby again.
"So making the decision to leave a team that has given me that opportunity and shown such faith in me was definitely not an easy one to make.
"I am excited about living in France again and about the opportunity that Montpellier have presented.
"But I still have a season to go here first and I intend to make my last season here a great one and leave on a high note," Nadolo added.
Crusaders CEO Hamish Riach said that Nadolo had been a great asset to the Crusaders and would be missed by his teammates and fans alike when he leaves.
"Nemani has become somewhat of a cult figure for the Crusaders since joining us in 2014," Riach said.
"Fans love to see the big man charging down the sideline and you can immediately sense the anticipation and excitement building in the crowd when he has the ball.
"We are thankful that we still have another year with Nemani and can't wait to see what he brings to the team again in 2016."
Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder said Nadolo had made a huge impact both on and off the field.
"When Tabai Matson showed me some footage of Nemani back in 2013 and suggested we offer a contract to this guy, I was immediately excited about what he could bring to our team," Blackadder said.
"He has exceeded our expectations both with his on-field performances and the energy and positivity that he has brought to the team environment," Blackadder added.
"Nemani is one of those special players who only come along every once in a while.
"He is built like a tank but has skills and speed that defy his size. We will certainly miss his presence both on and off the field when he leaves, but we are grateful for the time we've had and can't wait to unleash Nemsy on the competition again in 2016!"
Nadolo will leave straight after the Super Rugby season ends and has signed a three year contract with Montpellier.
