Brumbies fullback Mark Gerrard has been released from the third year of his contract with the ACT province and the Australian Rugby Union.
The 26-year-old has signed with Japanese second division club, NTT Communications, and cited the desire for his young family to experience a foreign culture as the reason behind seeking the release.
Gerrard has played 79 Super Rugby caps and is third on the CA Brumbies? list of all-time point scorers with 306 points, behind Stirling Mortlock (963 points) and Joe Roff (590 points).
He made his CA Brumbies debut against the Sharks in 2003 (having made his Super 12 debut for the Waratahs the previous year) and was a member of the 2004 Super 12-winning side, including a three-try haul against the Crusaders in the final.
"My family and I have loved our time at the Brumbies and in Canberra and we?ll always consider ourselves members of the Brumbies family," Gerrard said.
"[My wife] Larisa and I have always wanted to experience a different culture and our children are at a good age for us to do that now.
"This is my ninth season of Super Rugby and with the kids now five and three, we believe this is the right time to try our hand at living overseas.
"But I?m still only 26 and after we?d had a chance to live away for a year or two, I definitely wouldn?t rule out the possibility of returning to play in Australia and pulling on the Brumbies strip again."
Brumbies Rugby CEO Andrew Fagan says Gerrard has been an integral member of the CA Brumbies over the past seven years.
"Mark and his manager flagged the idea of a release option in his contract when we negotiated his existing three-year deal and has exercised that option and experience living abroad," he said.
"Mark has been a tremendous performer for the CA Brumbies and the Wallabies over an extended period of time. His form this year alone suggests that he still has many good seasons ahead of him but he still has a very important role to play with us for the remainder of the 2009 Super 14 season and we?d love to see him farewelled on a winning note.
"We can appreciate that he has a young family and wants them to experience a different culture. He has been very open and honest throughout this process and we wish Mark, Larissa, Markus and Milana all the best beyond this season."
