GONE IN 60 SECONDS

As a result of the worldwide shutdown of rugby and subsequent financial carnage, a number of players and coaches slipped away to new things during the lockdown. While a few came back to New Zealand.

Everyone’s favourite

Tylor Ardron [pictured above] has left the Chiefs to take up a contract with French club Castres. The 29-year-old joined the Chiefs in 2018 as a loose forward-cum-lock and has been the best foreign import to a

New Zealand Super Rugby side. Ardron has featured across the back five and has even captained the team on occasion – bringing physicality, mobility and a high level of rugby intelligence.

Carlos Spencer has been cut by the Hurricanes, who could no longer afford to have such a large coaching team. Spencer, who joined the club in 2019 as an assistant coach, was told at the beginning of lockdown that there was a chance his role may be made redundant as a result of financial pressures. When that was confirmed in July, he opted to leave the club with immediate affect. Blues midfielder Joe Marchant has returned to England. The 23-year-old arrived in January under the partnership agreement the Blues have with English club Harlequins. Capped a few times by Eddie Jones, Marchant came to New Zealand with the aim of exposing himself to faster, higher skilled rugby. He looked quite promising before lockdown but was unable to win much game time after it with the coaches preferring the TJ Faiane-Rieko Ioane combination in midfield.