Guildford confirmed as coach
Disgraced former All Black Zac Guildford has finally been confirmed as the new coach of the troubled Woodend Rugby Club – despite opposition from members and a drug related court appearance for breaching home detention conditions.
Guildford, 34, appeared in the Christchurch District Court last Wednesday after he was caught breaching home detention by smoking cannabis.
According to the NZ Herald, Guildford was convicted and discharged.
Guildford’s latest run in with the law comes after he was confirmed as the new coach of the Woodend Rugby Club division one team.
Senior club captain Nick Boyd confirmed Guildford would also play for the team.
‘‘We would be silly if we turned down Zac Guildford playing rugby for us.’’
His appointment has been controversial. At least two committee members resigned last year when they learnt he had been appointed as the new coach. Neither Guildford nor the club would confirm his appointment at that time.
A source at the time told Stuff that members and some sponsors were upset he had been approached to coach because the correct process had not been followed.
Leaked emails revealed a split within the club, with some committee members upset Guildford was hired without a vote at committee level. At least two, including a sponsor, subsequently resigned.
One committee member said they were resigning because of ‘‘the ongoing lack of governance’’, saying the inability to follow the club’s constitution was untenable. Another committee member emailed the club saying there was no vote on Guildford becoming the coach and ‘‘neither was there a majority in favour’’.
The troubled club had a difficult 2022 season after it was embroiled in controversy when former division one rugby coach and ex-South African professional rugby player Dewet Nortje was banned from coaching for the rest of the year after he abused a referee in May.
Guildford declined to comment on his latest court appearance nor his position as coach at the club.
Boyd said he backed Guildford and had ‘‘complete faith’’ in him.
‘‘As far as anything else that doesn’t involve rugby, I’m just not in a position to talk about.’’
No restrictions had been put on Guildford at the clubhouse and alcohol was not a problem as the former rugby star no longer drank, Boyd said.
He did confirm some support has been put around Guildford.
Newly-elected president Josh Stevenson declined to comment until the season had kicked off.
Guildford, 33, has made several court appearances for alcoholfuelled incidents. He also had a gambling addiction and was also sentenced to home detention after being convicted of stealing about $40,000 from his grandfather and defrauding a friend of $60,000, for gambling purposes.
In 2019, he assaulted a woman in a heavy state of intoxication, nine years after an incident in Rarotonga where he staggered naked into a bar and assaulted two patrons.
In a podcast with Dom Harvey, Guilford laid bare his life of betting up to $25,000 on single races, alcohol blackouts and smoking methamphetamine.
Guildford also revealed he sold his 2011 Rugby World Cup winner’s medal for a few thousand dollars so he could keep gambling – the one addiction that had been ‘‘consistent’’ throughout his life.
In February 2022, Guildford was convicted and discharged for breaching an intensive supervision order for drinking alcohol. He remains under intensive supervision conditions until June.