All Blacks captain Scott Barrett eyes return late in Super Rugby Pacific ahead of test season

Next season remains a work in progress for All Blacks captain Scott Barrett.

After returning home from the Northern Tour, the 32-year-old lock is set to go on a period of extended leave that will rule him out of the majority of the Crusaders’ Super Rugby Pacific campaign.

It won’t, however, rule him out of the entirety of it.

“I’m working through that at the moment,” Barrett said. “I’m planning on playing the tail end of Super. I would like a bit of rugby before the July series. So, yeah, I haven’t finalised my plan as yet. I’m working through that at the moment.”

It’s a similar situation to that of All Blacks hooker Codie Taylor, who took a six-month, non-playing sabbatical after the 2023 Rugby World Cup and returned for the last four games of the Crusaders’ regular season.

Barrett had the option for a non-playing sabbatical in his contract and, now at the midway point in the All Blacks’ preparations for the next Rugby World Cup, saw 2026 as the ideal time to activate that option.

“Off the back of the last World Cup, I took some time to basically say ‘how could I be at the next World Cup?’ and be still contributing in a big way to this team,” he said.

“So, that was part of the strategy, is to break it into two segments and at the back of the first two years, it has been a big couple of years in the role as captain physically and mentally. This break’s at a good time and yeah, ultimately I want to be out the other side of this come May for 18 months of rugby that can ultimately contribute to a team lifting the World Cup.”

A return late in the Super Rugby season would give Barrett some game time before the international window in July, during which the All Blacks are scheduled to host France, Italy and Ireland.

They will then travel to South Africa for the first edition of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour, during which they will play an eight-game slate – made up of four test and four other matches – in August and September instead of a Rugby Championship.

Barrett has played more than 100 games for the Crusaders since making his debut in 2014. The side have signed Otago’s Will Tucker as additional locking cover while Barrett is away, with Liam Jack promoted to a full-time Crusaders contract as Quinten Strange has taken his talents to Japan.

Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.