All Black Finds Hunger In Croatia

Croatia and it’s magical Dalmatian island of Hvar was an unlikely source of motivation for one of New Zealand’s top rugby players to return to the game at the highest level.

Anthony Boric (29), who was part of the All Black’s World Cup winning side in 2011, was forced out of the game due to a neck injury last year. After undergoing surgery the 2-metre lock told New Zealand’s Otago Daily Times that he even “weighed up whether it was worth throwing in the towel.”

Boric took the opportunity to take a holiday in Croatia, where he has family.

“I have family in a small town halfway between Split and Dubrovnik and on the island of Hvar [in the Adriatic Sea]. It was nice to visit my relatives, they turn it on – I was definitely well fed. Hvar was probably my favourite spot. I did a cruise for a week with a few mates. Being out in the islands jumping off a boat and swimming for hours was so peaceful,” said Boric who is back training with his province Auckland, adding that his time away from the game has given him perspective on the rigours of a rugby-playing life.

Hvar in Croatia is not just a favourite with Boric, after countless media articles from around the world promoting the picturesque central Dalmatian island, The New York Times are the latest to jump on the bandwagon, naming it at number 14 on the 46 places for 2013 list, as Total Hvar reports.