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Exclusive: An open letter from Wyatt Crockett

By Scotty Stevenson
Wyatt Crockett bids farewell to the international arena

After 71 tests and 1 match for the All Blacks, Wyatt Crockett has called time on his international career. Here, in a RugbyPass Exclusive, he tells us why he is stepping down from the All Blacks and how thankful he is to have worn the most famous jersey in the game. And he has some other news, too.

It is never an easy thing to know when the time is right. Since 2009 I have worn the All Blacks jersey with immense pride and gratitude, but for much longer than that I had dreamed of one day having that chance. Late last year, in consultation with my wife and family, we decided to start a new chapter of our lives, one that allows us to spend more time together.

Early in the New Year I made a call to All Blacks coach Steve Hansen and informed him of my decision to make myself unavailable for national selection. I would like to thank him for his understanding and his encouragement. Steve has been a constant for me in the All Blacks. For as long as I have been there, so has he. To him, and to all of the All Blacks management and family, I say thank you for every opportunity to represent my country and my family, and to live out a childhood dream. I hope I have repaid your faith.

I was raised in Golden Bay, at the top of New Zealand’s South Island, and I could not have wished for a more idyllic childhood. My parents were incredibly supportive of me and instilled in me the values of hard work and determination – values I hope I have lived and demonstrated to others, especially when things didn’t quite go to plan. It takes plenty of hard work and determination to become part of any great team, and without the support and guidance from my parents, and from my wife Jenna’s parents, I don’t know if I could have done it.  To Murray, Lynda, Mum and Dad, thanks a million.

When Rob Penney called me 17 years ago to ask if I’d like to come down to Christchurch and train with the Canterbury Academy under the guidance of Mike Cron, I packed my bags and off I went. It was in preparation for the third NZ under-19 trial and while I was no rising star, I was prepared to give it everything I had. Only by giving everything could I have hoped to make the teams I had dreamed of playing for.

One of those teams was, of course, the Crusaders. To Robbie Deans, Todd Blackadder and Scotty Robertson, thank you for allowing me to be a part of such a wonderful side for so many years. Thanks also to everyone involved in this great franchise; I’ve seen first-hand how much the team, management, staff, board and fans care about our team and how hard they are prepared to work for it. I was happy to play just one game. To know now that no one has played more – yet – makes me feel enormously proud and immensely grateful. To have won three titles with the Crusaders has been a dream come true, and I can assure you that my focus is very much on winning a fourth this season.

I am also indebted to all those who have supported me at provincial level at Canterbury. Rob Penney, the man who brought me down to Canterbury, was also the first to give me a crack in the red and black hoops. He believed in me then, and has been a constant mentor and friend ever since. To all the coaches and support staff, the families and the volunteers who helped me in my provincial career and who continue to make provincial rugby strong, I say many thanks indeed. While many may think that provincial rugby has slid down the pecking order, I disagree. I was honoured to wear the Canterbury jersey and I hope that every player who gets the chance in the future understands the importance of the game at local level, and the legacy that they are adding too.

On that note, I have something else to announce. As of this year I will, for the first time, play for a different provincial team. I have signed to play for the Tasman Mako for the next two seasons and am excited to give back to the province of my youth. I know that I go with Canterbury’s blessing and will arrive with a great desire to play well and to contribute to a team that has done great things in NZ rugby since its formation in 2006.

I will also be arriving with my own team, having made the decision to move to Nelson so as to be closer to both my immediate family and my wife Jenna’s family. We want to enjoy the lifestyle that this amazing region has to offer, and to give our boys the childhood that we were both lucky enough to have.

I want my team mates to know how much I have appreciated their support, friendship, encouragement and camaraderie over many years, and I also would like to acknowledge all those men I have played against at international and Super Rugby level. I know I will still lock horns with many of you in the upcoming season. For those of you against whom I have now played my last, I hope I was a worthy competitor and that I won your respect. Respect, after all, is the foundation of this game I love so much.

Finally, and on the subject of love, to my beautiful and incredible wife Jenna and to my two amazing boys Sonny and Emmett, I have no idea how to repay you for allowing me the opportunity to do what I love doing all these years. It has taken me away from you for long periods of time and yet you have never wavered in your love and dedication. Perhaps the best way I can repay you is by being there, which is what this decision will allow me to do.

Thanks everyone, and here’s to the 2018 Crusade.

Crocky

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J
Jon 4 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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john 7 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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Adrian 9 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

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T
Trevor 12 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
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