Richie McCaw will sit out the first three rounds of the Crusaders' 2010 season rather than activate the sabbatical clause in his New Zealand Rugby Union contract.
McCaw has opted against following the route of New Zealand and Crusaders team-mate Dan Carter, who went to play for French club Perpignan instead of playing in this year's Super 14 - although his sabbatical was cut short when he tore his Achilles tendon.
Instead the All Blacks skipper will miss matches against the Highlanders (February 13), Queensland Reds (February 19) and Sharks (February 26) before returning for the fourth-round clash against the Blues in Christchurch on March 6.
It is a similar deal to that agreed with Chiefs full-back Mils Muliaina who will miss his team's opening three games in Durban, Johannesburg and Perth.
"The positive in all this is that he is not choosing to take a sabbatical and it is good he can take a breather," Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder told The Press.
"He wants to play and has not exercised the clause in his contract. He's been bashed up a bit this year and it's really about keeping him fresh."
McCaw, whose contract with the NZRU runs until the end of 2011 World Cup, missed a sizeable chunk of this year's Super 14 campaign due to two separate bouts of concussion and a knee injury.
A second knee injury suffered in the semi-final loss to the Bulls also kept him out of the June Tests against France and Italy.
Blackadder will have no shortage of replacements for his star openside flanker with George Whitelock, who captained Canterbury to the Air New Zealand Cup title this year, and Jonathan Poff both specialist sevens and All Black number eight Kieran Read also capable of playing on the openside.
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