Pocock signs for Japan's Wild Knights

Pocock will reunite with former Wallaby coach Robbie Deans at the Wild Knights after the Wallabies' end-of-season tour of Britain, Ireland and France this year before taking six months off to study in 2017.

Once his sabbatical is over, Pocock will return to the Wild Knights in August 2017 before heading back to the Brumbies in Canberra for the 2018 Super Rugby season, the ARU said.

"I'm excited about playing for a club like the Wild Knights," Pocock told the ARU website.

"They have a proud history with a great playing group. I'm really looking forward to working with Robbie and Berrick [Barnes] again.

"When George Smith came back from Japan in 2012 he had added a few things to his game that we talked about quite a bit, so I'm keen to use the time over there to work on various aspects of my game."

The Canberra Times said Pocock has signed a flexible multi-year deal with the Wild Knights for three playing stints over the next three and a half years.

The contract will also include a stint with the Wild Knights after the 2019 World Cup in Japan, the newspaper said.

Pocock said playing in Japan offered him the chance to practise new skills and experience a different style of rugby.

Deans said he was thrilled to have Pocock on board as he sought to take the Wild Knights to a fourth-straight Top League title in Japan.

"David has been typically thorough in mapping out his future and we look forward to having him with us over the next few years," Deans told the ARU website.

Agence France-Presse