Crusaders & All Blacks fan Tim Cronin from RugbyShirts.net examines Guildford’s fall further from grace
Zac Guildford's decision to remove himself from the Crusaders set-up after yet another run-in with alcohol has refuelled the debate about professional rugby players and their relationship with booze, and to be honest, I'm a bit conflicted about where I stand on the whole thing.
In one corner of the argument is the thought that these players are still young guys; that they need the space to enjoy their youth just a little bit, and that surely the odd pint here or there is not the end of the world. I feel for some of these young guys who are forced to hold press conferences and admit to having 'problems with alcohol' when the reality was they probably just had one too many with their mates down at the pub and became involved in a minor incident which, had that person not been in the public eye wouldn't have caused anyone to bat an eyelid.
On the other side of the equation is the idea that their window of opportunity to be a professional sportsperson is relatively short, and surely they can focus for a handful of years and reap the rewards of a career as a top level rugby player, then cut loose when they retire.
Personally, sharing a beer with your mates after a game of footy, telling tale tales about the 100m+ try you just scored or that huge hit that you put on, is part and parcel of rugby, and that camaraderie
is a huge reason why many of us love the sport so much.
But the fact of the matter is, at the top level the game has moved on from there. The idea that you can achieve the levels of fitness and physical prowess required to play at Super Rugby or International level whilst juggling the odd hangover is now redundant. Then there is also the issue of public perception, and the fact that, whether we agree with it or not, rugby players are considered role models. One stray video from someone's cell phone of an All Black stumbling round the streets intoxicated and every politically correct 'defender or our moral well-being' is writing to the press.
But that's the way things are nowadays, and players like Guildford can either accept it and commit to life as a professional rugby player in the new millennium, or start looking for a 'real' job.
Guildford is obviously an extreme case. I'm sure no-one would begrudge Dan Carter the chance to head out for a beer or three every now and again. But Guildford obviously can't go out and have a few without getting a tad messy, and he was already well and truly on his last warning.
If players like Zac Guildford are to have long-lasting and lucrative careers as professional rugby players they must understand that they'll need to make certain sacrifices along the way, and they'll need to ensure that they've got friends and support people around them who also understand this, and can help these young guys make good decisions.
Tim Cronin is a Rugby fan and full time writer based in the rubble of the Canterbury Crusaders’ home town, Christchurch. Tim is a part of the Pukeko Sportsteam, where his role is watching, writing, and complaining about all things rugby.
