Zac Guildford has had a tough time of it in recent years.
The 26-year-old has been in trouble for bar-room assaults and drunken binges, which have led to him being axed by New Zealand and released from his contract at Clermont.
The winger, who was in New Zealand’s World Cup-winning squad in 2011, is back in New Zealand and, this time, in the headlines for the right reasons.
Guildford and two of his Hawke’s Bay team-mates, Ryan Tongia and Chris Eaton, were at a restaurant in Napier earlier this week, when they spied a man running from a nearby clothing store with merchandise in hand.
It is alleged that the man shoplifted the goods before sprinting off.
In an interview with New Zealand’s TV3, Guildford takes up the tale: ‘Tongia set off in his perfect running style like he was off catching a ball, it was pretty impressive to watch.
‘He grabbed him by the hood and said, “Hey mate, listen, you better stop here”.’
Lessons to be learned: Don’t shoplift and definitely don’t shoplift if lunching rugby players are nearby.
