Mum hits back at Taylor’s sacking
Tom Taylor’s mother has leapt to the defence of the former All Black Tom Taylor after French club Pau announced it had sacked him for skipping the country during Covid-19 lockdown.
Pau claimed the three-test All Black departed France in March, despite being asked to remain there in case the Top 14 competition was able to resume.
Pau said Taylor put the team and its staff in ‘‘complete disarray’’ and it was against the values, spirit and ethics of the club.
Tracey Taylor, however, said she and her family were surprised and disappointed at the claims made about her son.
‘‘I’m shocked and really saddened to hear that they are saying this. All we know is that Tom is in negotiations with this club. To hear this report has really shocked and saddened us,’’ she told Newstalk ZB yesterday.
‘‘He’s been a loyal hardworking member of the club for the last four years. He doesn’t deserve to be basically rubbished like this in their claim.’’
The Pau club statement claimed that on March 17, 2020, ‘‘the club noted that Mr Tom Taylor had left the national territory without any prior authorisation from his employer even though all players were asked to remain at the disposal of the club and to respect government measures as part of the fight against Covid-19.
‘‘This personal decision, contrary to all the instructions which had been given by the club since March 13, was not justified.
‘‘It put the team and all the staff in complete disarray since there was no information about the dates on which the championship could resume and it was therefore necessary that players were all immediately available in the event of a resumption of activity, which all of his team-mates understood and respected.
‘‘The club regrets the player’s behaviour, which runs contrary to club values, team spirit and basic ethics.
‘‘During preparation for the ’19/20 season, the squad had voluntarily put in place cultural rules, committing to respect moral values and to demonstrating exemplary behavior on and off the field. ‘‘Faced with these materially established facts, the club had no other option than to initiate a dismissal procedure against Mr. Tom Taylor.’’
The 31-year-old is the son of former All Black and Canterbury second five-eighth Warwick Taylor.
Utility back Taylor played three tests for the All Blacks, making his debut against Australia in 2013. He played 58 games for the Crusaders between 2012-15, and 42 matches for Canterbury.
His former All Blacks and Crusaders team-mate Colin Slade was also previously with Pau, but signed with Japanese club Mitsubishi Dynaboars last month.
A move to Japan could appeal for Taylor once travel restrictions eventually ease and global rugby competitions crank back up following the suspension of play due to Covid-19.