Former All Black Zac Guildford joins provincial minnows in Heartland Championship
Former All Blacks wing Zac Guildford has returned to New Zealand provincial rugby after joining Ngati Porou East Coast, who are yet to win a match since 2013, in the Heartland Championship.
It adds another chapter to the storied – and at times troubled – career of the 30-year-old, who revealed earlier this month that he was contemplating giving up elite rugby entirely after failing to secure a contract with Waikato for the upcoming Mitre 10 Cup campaign.
Guildford had spent his time this year playing club rugby in Hamilton for Fraser Tech, which finished runners-up in the premier competition, losing 22-13 in the final to Hautapu.
He told Stuff that numerous Heartland unions had been in touch about acquiring his services, but East Coast appealed to him due to their isolation from the rest of the country, with the side, which is currently enduring a record 42-match losing streak, playing out of the small North Island township of Ruatoria.
Guildford said he was initially reluctant to move south-east when asked by East Coast loose forward Jack Richardson to play for the country’s only iwi-based outfit, but he was eventually swayed to give it a try.
“When he first asked me, I was like ‘hell no’. I wanted to rest and get away from rugby,” Guildford told Stuff on Tuesday.
“But the more I got talking to a few people involved, I got pretty intrigued by trying to help them out. I am keen to give back to rugby if I am to keep playing. I won’t create miracles but if I can help in some way, then that would be awesome.
“I really don’t like losing and a five-year losing streak is obviously a tough one. I will go there and try my best and do what I can to try and get a couple of victories.”
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It won’t be Guildford’s first dabble in the Heartland Championship, as he played for Wairarapa Bush in 2016 following a failed stint with the Waratahs in Super Rugby earlier that year.
Prior to that, he had amassed 77 caps for Hawke’s Bay in the Mitre 10 Cup, 79 combined appearances for the Hurricanes and Crusaders in Super Rugby, 21 outings for Clermont in the Top 14, and 11 tests for the All Blacks from between 2009 and 2011.
However, a raft of off-field issues, namely his infamous naked drunken assault on bar-goers in Rarotonga eight years ago, have restricted opportunities at the elite level of the game.
Nevertheless, after stints with Waikato and French club Nevers following his foray with Wairarapa Bush, Guildford’s signing with East Coast, which will pay him nothing as a Heartland player, presents an opportunity to give back to the rugby community.
Logistically, it won’t be easy, as Guildford is still based in Hamilton, where he works as a teacher aide at St Paul’s Collegiate School, so will join a raft of teammates who will travel far and wide just to play and train with the side.
“While it’s not ideal, I get to stay around here in Hamilton with my family. Really, it’s the best of both worlds. Rugby has always been a release from work and the reality of life.”
Guildford will become just the third All Black to play for the East Coast, with legendary fullback George Nepia and Andrew Jefferd playing internationally between 1924-30, and 1980-81, respectively.
East Coast kick-off their 2019 Heartland Championship campaign against Buller at Victoria Square in Westport on August 24.
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Comments on RugbyPass
Thanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
3 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
3 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
25 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
25 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
3 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
45 Go to comments