Guildford keen on return to rugby

All Black Zac Guildford (L) arrived back in Auckland this morning on Pacific Blue flight DJ162 from Rarotonga. Photo / Sarah Ivey

Zac Guildford is keen to get straight back into rugby following his calamitous trip to Rarotonga but his New Zealand Rugby Union employers are taking advice to see if that is a good idea.

All Blacks and Crusaders wing Guildford arrived back in New Zealand from the Cook Islands this morning and said he was keen to get home and "sort myself out" after his alleged drunken assaults on two men in a bar and harassment of triathlete Kelly Pick.

On his arrival at Auckland Airport, Guildford apologised for his behaviour and spoke of his desire to to back into the game he loves, but it might not be as simple as he hopes.

"My job is to play rugby and if I do have the privilege of keeping my contract and playing for the Crusaders, then it gives me a few months to get ready and get in tip top shape for the season," he said. "I'm just hoping the New Zealand Rugby Union have a bit of faith in me and I can put the right structures in place and prove that this time I'm prepared to give it a good crack and put myself in a better position to be a better person, and if being an All Black again flows from that but at the moment I'm just concentrating on myself and the Crusaders."

As an All Black, Guildford would not have been due back at the Crusaders for pre-season training until January but the franchise is keen to get him in its environment sooner rather than later. Coach Todd Blackadder has said: "We're going to stand by him. He needs proper help and he needs to be in an environment in which he feels comfortable, and that's playing rugby."

But NZRU general manager of professional rugby Neil Sorensen said today Guildford might have to spend time away from the game.

Sorensen said in a statement the events in Rarotonga were "incredibly disappointing and Zac needs to be accountable for his actions".

Guildford, who went home to Hawke's Bay today, would go through an NZRU misconduct process "over the coming weeks", said Sorensen. In the meantime, the NZRU would seek advice from a "professional counselling organisation", he said. The 22-year-old had not had a formal meeting with his employers as yet.

"When we do receive professional advice, they might say yes, time out from rugby is the right thing to do. Conversely they might say no, absolutely not, he has to stay in rugby and have some stability in his life," Sorensen said earlier.

Guildford's latest misdemeanours, which included spending time in a jail cell, comes after a series of drunken incidents. He was already on notice for a drink-related incident following the All Blacks v Australia Tri Nations test in Brisbane in August and Sorensen said the NZRU's patience was wearing thin.

"Like any of us who have jobs, you can't keep bringing your employer and the employer's brand into disrepute," he said.

"At some stage unless they help themselves to a certain extent ... you have to say 'well we can't help this guy any more'. That will be the stage we get to before we talk about ripping up contracts.

"If we do get to that space I would suggest that we have failed."

But Sorensen said the union remained committed to trying to help Guildford.

"As we've said, Zac's faced alcohol and behavioural issues in the past and in those situations we did have plans in place with the Crusaders and Zac and a support network, and it did involve alcohol counselling and some professional help, the key thing that we're asking ourselves today is we need to review that and say 'well how did it work, that was put in place less than 12 months ago, did we learn anything from that?' The key thing is we're not arrogant enough to suggest that we actually have the answers ourselves, I mean our job here is to produce young men to represent the All Blacks, we're not experts and we need to put up our hands and say 'look, where is the professional help, and what do we do and how can we support him' basically."