News has emerged from France that troubled former All Black, Zac Guildford, is set to return home, halfway through his 2 year deal with European Cup finalists, Clermont Auvergne.
Guildford, who played 11 tests for the All Blacks and featured in the victorious 2011 Rugby World Cup side, has struggled since making the move from Christchurch to the middle of France and did not feature in Clermont's defeat to Toulon in the European Cup Final.
It is another blow for Guildford's stuttering rugby career which seems to be heading towards a premature end at this stage; after his repeated disciplinary troubles as a NZ rugby player, the NZRU and Super Rugby franchises are keeping away from him like the plague.
A fair enough move you'd think although I think the media and the public may be accountable for the failure of a bright talent to fulfill itself on the world stage.
Looking back at Guildford's life, there are many lessons that can be learnt on how to man-manage a young man who was clearly troubled and affected by events off the field.
The NZRU ultimately did the right thing to terminate Guildford's career after repeated disciplinary indiscretions in the end, but it really should have never come to this. Acknowledging that Guildford's frame of mind would be delicate after the death of his father, here was one player who clearly should have been wrapped in cotton wool thereafter off the field while his star status on the field grew following his exploits at the 2009 Junior World Cup.
Alas, Guildford was unprotected and unshielded from the pressure that came with his growing star status with the Crusaders and All Blacks and ultimately, could not cope with the lifestyle and distractions that came with become a celebrity in this country.
Yes, there were family circumstances that didn't help but plenty of rugby players in this country have come from broken families and have come out fine.
Indeed, it is ironic that in a country that prides itself in the neighbourly spirit, when it comes to our sports stars, we seem to take the high ground and judge and criticise them when they take a wrong step, therefore, setting them on the high speed train towards a premature end of their career.
The Jesse Ryder example is another case of poor man management at the start and while there can be no excuse for the mistakes made later on in his career which have curtailed what should have been a long career in the Blackcaps, there were clear red flags early on where Ryder should have been placed in cotton-wool with a mentor.
For a shining example of man management from the roots, New Zealand sport should look no further than Steven Adams.
Adams was removed from troubled home circumstances in Rotorua to go to Scots College under a scholarship and placed under legal guardianship by Blossom, a fitness instructor in Wellington, who helped nurture and guide him to become the man that he has become. Without Blossom and his education at Scots College, Adams would have found himself roaming the streets of Rotorua rather than Manhattan and Hollywood.
The sooner we learn how to nurture and protect our brightest and most vulnerable stars rather than chastise them like we have done with Zac Guildford and Jesse Ryder, the better we will be and avoid seeing such talents go to waste.
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