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The Waratahs have thrown former All Black Zac Guildford a lifeline, and he will join them for the 2016 Super Rugby season on a ten-month contract.
Guildford will start with the Waratahs after the 2015 ITM Cup tournament, where he is playing for Hawke’s Bay.
Guildford is better known of late for his off-field issues, which led to him leaving the
However, still at just 26 years of age, and with plenty of good rugby behind and in front of him, Waratahs coach Daryl Gibson threw the New Zealand native a Super Rugby lifeline.
Guildford has earned 79 Super Rugby caps with the Hurricanes and Crusaders, scoring 29 tries.
After his issues in New Zealand, he left to play with Clermont in France, where he played 21 times for three tries.
The winger, at his best, possesses great speed and evasive footwork that has seen him play 11 games for the All Blacks.
Gibson said signing Guildford would provide cover in the outside backs after they lost Adam Ashley-Cooper, Peter Betham and Taqele Naiyaravoro..
“There were a few reasons we opted to sign Zac, not having three of our starting outside backs in Ashley-Cooper, Naiyaravoro, and Betham was a big drain on experience in the backs,” Gibson said.
“We’ve got some excellent young emerging prospects in the squad, like Andrew Kellaway, Henry Clunies-Ross, and Harry Jones – all of whom will be quality players given time – but I felt like I needed a ready-made player who has been proven at Super Rugby level.
Gibson acknowledged that Guildford’s issues, but said he was prepared to earn the trust of his teammates.
“I’ve spoken with Zac extensively, and he is prepared to earn the respect of his teammates through his actions, and to uphold the values of our club,” Gibson said.
“The coaching staff at Hawke’s Bay were generous enough to allow him some time to visit us for a few days, and it gave us the opportunity to make our expectations really clear to Zac about being here at the Waratahs.
“He’s probably been carrying that ‘bad-boy’ baggage around with him for the past few years, and from my observations he has moved past it and grown up a bit – his challenge will be to demonstrate he can make good choices and prove that.
“Of course his signature comes with risks for both parties, but we strongly believe in his ability and will support him with his efforts to continue his rugby career, he’s highly motivated and aspirational about his career – so our challenge will be to get the best out of him.
Guildford also played in the 2010 Gold Medal-winning New Zealand team at the Commonwealth Games.
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