Zac Guildford: In trouble... again
Crusaders wing Zac Guildford has voluntarily stood down from involvement with the Crusaders after a late-night incident at a residential home in Christchurch last weekend.
Guildford, 23, has admitted being involved in the incident after attending a private house party.
He informed Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder during the week and chose to remove himself from the team environment while the matter is considered by the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) and the Crusaders.
"We and the Crusaders were very disappointed to learn of this incident. As a result, the NZRU has initiated misconduct proceedings against Zac," said NZRU Chief Executive Steve Tew.
"We will be meeting with Zac and his representative in the following week to discuss the matter, and next steps.
"As his employer, we want to ensure that the process respects Zac's right to a fair hearing so we do not wish to comment further at this stage."
Comments
kennyisgay says...
new_j4a... not hard to figure out based on his history numbnut. This kid's given enough chances and like I said manyer people worst off than him. Not nice what happened with his father but I'd doubt his father would approve of his carrying on. Better ways to show graditude to your dad you selfish prat
Posted 22:22 22nd January 2013
sukkadoits says...
ZG needs help. He needs the type of help his Dad would've provided. I don't know him or his circumstances personally, but it seems to me his fall from grace began with the public passing of his father. Very many young Kiwi males, and an ever increasing amount of females, need guidance navigating their way through the party period of life which a countless number of impressive talents fall victim to. Its easy to judge and say 'what an idiot to risk a pro career like this' but the problem lies much deeper, both on a personal level, and in NZ(like many other western countries) on a societal level too.
I have been on some serious drinking sessions with SA, Aussie and UK friends and it seems we all share a love of drinking till we are inebriated and doing silly and funny stunts. But often these stunts did go bad, and that is why I will always cherish my last and most precious remaining testicle(joke).
Whilst not entirely defending ZG and his actions, i do believe they are symptomatic of a hurting man acting out in a way that young kiwis believe they are supposed to.
Posted 20:44 21st January 2013
new_j4a says...
Some unfortunate rushing to judgement without even a hint of the offense by complete tw@ts like kennyisjuvenile. I cannot imagine what offense would be serious enough to cause him to withdraw from rugby, but not serious enough to involve the police. Anyway good luck to him. I hope that the kiwis are broad minded enough to embrace him and his problem if its something as innocuous as alcoholism.
Posted 18:02 21st January 2013
passtheball says...
ArmchairGeneral says...Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.
- you are right - Zac has been stoned too many times already!
Posted 14:13 21st January 2013
cuw3100 says...
What people do in thie lives is almost always a choice. Take Brad Thorn for example; he was a teatotaller and played till 35. Late in his career he talked about how being off alcohol helped the body week in - week out as a bruising forward.
ZG still has a chance to do the right thing, take the correct path.
One would have thought player management included babysitting them as well in this modern professional era of sports.
Posted 09:14 21st January 2013
2eyedkiwi says...
Yawn. Womens Weekly story.
Zac, a pity you can't control your problem, nor have one of your paid management team step and control it for you, but you choose your own path.
@Hybrid and Jaystar. "waste" and "talent"? His choice.
@Bones7. Hope its not a regular occurence? Too late. It is.
@NHSaints. Agreed. Your club got any openings for an average Kiwi winger??
Posted 07:51 21st January 2013
Jediboy says...
We don't know what happened here. The report just says an 'incident' and that could be anything. Although with his previous I can see why people think its alcohol related.
But it must be pretty serious for him to step down. Hope he gets through whatever this is, he is a good player.
Posted 07:25 21st January 2013
jonesrp says...
God..he`s had so many chances. But if the game turns its back on him , what`s going to happen next ?
Posted 03:33 21st January 2013
kiwilad says...
Why do we not wait nd hear some facts before hanging the kid??
Posted 01:05 21st January 2013
kiwilad says...
Why do we not wait nd hear some facts before hanging the kid??
Posted 01:05 21st January 2013
Bones7 says...
Some harsh words here, some of you should be ashamed of yourselves. I'd imagine coming off the field having won the U20 World Cup to find your dad had died in the stands would leave a lot of blokes in a bad way, spending the next couple of years under the spotlight of NZ rugby won't help either. He is very talented, 6 tries in 10 caps proves that. His work rate is phenomenal, he's got bags of gas and he can actually beat a man one on one. He'd have got a lot more than 10 caps if he was from anywhere other than NZ, that's for sure! He's not the finished article, but he's not going to be at 23. I can't see anywhere where he's feeling sorry for himself here, in fact he's done the opposite and voluntarily removed himself from the crusaders while under investigation to stop it affecting his teammates. Hopefully it won't be a regular occurrence and he'll be fit and good to go by the start of the Super Rugby season.
Posted 00:33 21st January 2013
Tamjon says...
Sorry to hear that Zac. NZRU needs to drop him to show the younger boys coming through that it will not be tolerated. I thought he would have made a great centre, hopefully one of the european teams will pick him up. The change in environment might do him the world of good.
Posted 20:31 20th January 2013
masar says...
what was the incident?
@melkdave atm imo atm imo atm imo...
Posted 20:20 20th January 2013
Isograford says...
It was doomed from the start when his resolve last year was to quit drinking...'for a year'. So he thought all he needed was a brief time out and then hit the bottle again. That was never going to work.
Either way, he's been found out as a pretty average winger with nothing to offer but speed and workrate, can't beat a man one on one to save himself, as the AB selectors discovered.
Posted 17:59 20th January 2013
kennyisgay says...
Can't hell somebody who won't hell himself. How many chances do you need Zac? Quit feeling sorry for yourself you selfish twat. Manyer people worst off than you little boy.
Posted 16:25 20th January 2013
melkdave says...
Afraid he just has to go,he cant control his drinking,and is a total liability to any team atm.Shame as he has such great potential.But he has to get himself sorted out properly,and for good imo, There alot of young talanted youngsters atm in NZ who can do the job and not be liabilties to the team .Soory Zac career finished imo.
Posted 15:27 20th January 2013
rolf says...
Oh no, not again!
Zac is a giftes player with a personal problem.
I hope he comes to terms with it.
Being no expert but having some professional knowledge with addictions: Quite often it is the private environment that keeps young men in trouble, as seduction is a huge threat - as every smokers trying to quit will agree.
So maybe zac Guildford should try to get out of his surroundings and move to a place, where he can satart from zero again and is kept out of temptation: Kapstad!
I guess WP & stromers could make good use of a successor to Habana, soon....
Even if that might not be his choice: Good Luck Zac! Get well.
Posted 14:32 20th January 2013
ArmchairGeneral says...
Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.
Posted 12:14 20th January 2013
carpelone says...
One too many, Zac, I am afraid.
Posted 12:13 20th January 2013
NHsaints says...
Oh well, he was never that good anyway. Still...it's always sad to see someone that young with these sorts of problems.
Posted 12:03 20th January 2013