D'Arcy Waldegrave: The NZR sabbatical policy chooks have come home to roost

Author: D'Arcy Waldegrave ,
Publish Date: Sat, 1 Aug 2026, 9:04am

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Ardie Savea during the match against France in Christchurch. Photo / Brad Roberts

It had to happen, didn't it? The NZR sabbatical policy chooks have come home to roost.

The excellent Gregor Paul, NZ Herald rugby scribe, penned a wonderful piece around the madness of the union's veteran player edict, designed to help tourniquet the bleeding of experienced players to big moneyed clubs around the globe. It didn't stop the flow; it just temporarily rerouted it.

In their haste to stop senior All Blacks departing to wealthier climes, the dreaded sabbatical clause was triggered – a way for players to cash in on their All Blacks success without fleeing for the money on a permanent basis. This concept helped NZR avoid having to pick players from overseas; the last bastion of AB player central control.

On the face of it, the clause appeared to be a pragmatic way to ensure the continued access to 70+ test veterans and stop the increasing pressure of income accelerated player loss.

As I've often pointed out, the wording of the clause is more than problematic, it's just plain wrong. A sabbatical is a rest or break from work; an extended period of time intentionally spent on something that's not your routine job. So, most players aren't on a mental and physical break from the rigours of the game, they're just on a sanctioned cash grab.

Ardie Savea has made the most of this opportunity, opting to chase the money as opposed to hitting pause. As a result, he's rooted. The best way to counter that exhaustion is to... give him more time off, to make up for all of the time he's already taken off. Instead of travelling with HIS team to the republic for the biggest tour in living memory, he's having a bit of a lie down. Weird.

If anything positive arises from this nonsense saga, it will be a serious reworking of that easily abused clause, which in rugby parlance, is no longer fit for purpose.

And in case you think this is an Ardie beat up, it's not. He was presented with an opportunity and took it. I'd do the same.

The issue is with NZR, but the huge swathe of changes made within the halls of power will hopefully usher in a new way of thinking and acting, leaving dramas like this back in the past. Where they belong.