Coach not coming back

Rugby: The Crusaders are likely to start the Super Rugby season one assistant coach short after former Welsh wing Mark Jones opted not to return for the second year of his contact with the defending champions.

Having returned home to Wales with his wife and two children following the conclusion of the Mitre 10 Cup campaign, complications with New Zealand's quarantine protocols, which prevented Jones from gaining a managed isolation ticket until March, and the prospect of joining Worcester Warriors conspired to end his time in Christchurch.

Jones' departure leaves the Crusaders searching for a replacement on the eve of the Super Rugby Aotearoa season which kicks off late next month. — The New Zealand Herald