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Codie Taylor to miss most of Super Rugby by taking ‘non-playing sabbatical’

(Photo by Joe Allison/Getty Images)

All Blacks hooker Codie Taylor will miss a majority of next year’s Super Rugby Pacific campaign after taking up a “non-playing sabbatical,” the Crusaders confirmed on Thursday.

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Taylor was included in Rob Penney’s first Super Rugby squad in charge of the champion Crusaders, which included the likes of former All Black Ryan Crotty and Welsh international Leigh Halfpenny.

But after the All Blacks’ tough Rugby World Cup campaign, which saw New Zealand fall to rivals South Africa in a thrilling final, Taylor has taken up a clause in his contract to have some time off.

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Unlike the likes of New Zealand captain Sam Cane and World Player of the Year Ardie Savea, Taylor won’t ply his trade overseas. Taylor will take some time off, which is well-deserved.

Crusaders coach Penny said that Taylor has “earned the right” to make the most of some “special” treatment as a new Rugby World Cup cycle gets underway.

“He has probably had the new All Blacks coach (Scott Robertson) in his ear, having a discussion,” Penney told reporters on Thursday.

“And that’s all good. Whatever Codie needs, and those (veteran) boys that have earned the right to be treated a bit more special.

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“We will accommodate anything there.”

Taylor, who won the sport’s ultimate prize with the All Blacks at the 2015 Rugby World Cup, was Ian Foster’s first-choice in the No. 2 jersey during the business end of this year’s tournament.

But before all of that, Taylor played a starring role in the Crusaders’ road to a staggering seventh Super Rugby title in as many years, having scored twice in the final at FMG Stadium.

New Zealand media outlets are reporting that Taylor is expected to return a few weeks before the playoffs, but coach Penney didn’t rule out an early return for the All Blacks enforcer.

“He could get itchy feet,” Penney added. “We will let him do what he needs to do and clear his mind of footy.

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“When he’s back and ready to go, we will welcome him back with open arms.”

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J
JW 5 hours ago
'Let's not sugarcoat it': Former All Black's urgent call to protect eligibility rules

Yep, no one knows what will happen. Thing is I think (this is me arguing a point here not a random debate with this one) they're better off trialing it now in a controlled environment than waiting to open it up in a knee jerk style reaction to a crumbling organtization and team. They can always stop it again.


The principle idea is that why would players leave just because the door is ajar?


BBBR decides to go but is not good enough to retain the jersey after doing it. NZ no longer need to do what I suggest by paying him to get back upto speed. That is solely a concept of a body that needs to do what I call pick and stick wth players. NZR can't hold onto everyone so they have to choose their BBBRs and if that player comes back from a sabbatical under par it's a priority to get him upto speed as fast as possible because half of his competition has been let go overseas because they can't hold onto them all. Changing eligibility removes that dilemma, if a BBBR isn't playing well you can be assured that someone else is (well the idea is that you can be more assured than if you only selected from domestic players).


So if someone decides they want to go overseas, they better do it with an org than is going to help improve them, otherwise theyre still basically as ineligible as if they would have been scorning a NZ Super side that would have given them the best chance to be an All Black.

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