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Ardie Savea could be on paternity leave, but he will also be the father, and his New Zealand rugby bosses will have to take action again for his lack of a mouth guard.
The issue came to light after the lazy All Blacks forward was photographed during the second Bledisloe Cup win last Sunday against the Wallabies in Auckland with his teeth bared.
While wearing a mouth guard is not mandatory under World Rugby rules, it is in the New Zealand rugby players’ collective agreement.
Phil Walter / Getty Images
Ardie Savea was seen without a mouth guard during last Sunday’s Bledisloe Cup test in Auckland.
The 2019-2020 document, under section 53 (NZRU and Super Rugby Club Employment Obligations) states:
By becoming a party to a gaming contract under this part, the player agrees …
(d): wearing a mouth guard during rugby game for a New Zealand team or when they come into contact.
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The directive is understood to have been introduced some 15 years ago to help with player safety, protect against potential medical costs, and set a good example for youth players.
Mouth guards became mandatory for those aged 19 and under in New Zealand in 1997, and then for NPCs in 1998.
Kai Schwoerer / Getty Images
NZ Rugby Pro Rugby and Performance General Manager Chris Lendrum should remind the All Blacks of their responsibility to wear a mouth guard.
In a statement, NZ Rugby professional rugby and performance general manager Chris Lendrum said Stuff: “We are aware of the problem and will solve it with all our players.”
When asked what that specifically meant, especially since it comes four years after Lendrum said formal action was a possibility against players who continued to break the rules, NZ Rugby declined to comment further.
An All Blacks spokesperson said they did not know if other players were also without mouth guards during the Bledisloe tryouts.
It’s also unclear how long Savea has been without one. But the 27-year-old has a lot of history in this department.
Hannah Peters / Getty Images
Ardie Savea was also not wearing a mouth guard during last month’s Miter Cup 10 game against Auckland.
In 2013, he and his teammate Tomasi Palu were sent to get a mouth guard by referee Nick Briant during Wellington’s game against Canterbury in the capital, and NZ Rugby in 2003 gave the referees the authority to order the players. to leave the park to look for one.
In the days after that incident, Savea said she was unaware that mouth guards were mandatory at the provincial level and had vowed to change her long-ago habit.
“I feel like I need to use one now,” he said.
“I know the referees are going to start applying it from now on, so I’ll put one on as soon as possible.
“That was bad of me. It’s good that they’re cracking down and forcing players to wear one. He is not a good example for young players to follow ”.
Hannah Peters / Getty Images
Julian Savea congratulates Brother Ardie on New Zealand’s victory at Bledisloe II.
The then 19-year-old said he had worn a mouth guard as a child and occasionally in his time at Rongotai College First XV, but had stopped due to breathing difficulties.
“I’ll make one especially this week so that should help [with the breathing]. “
Less than a month later, then-All Blacks coach Steve Hansen issued a stern directive on mouth guards for his players, after Savea’s older brother Julian, Israel Dagg, Ben Smith and Ben Franks were photographed playing. without one, and Dagg’s mouth would have been bloody during the Springbok test in Johannesburg.
“They would be dumb if they didn’t have mouth guards, as far as I’m concerned,” Hansen said.
“I didn’t put one on even once and ended up with 14 stitches in my mouth from putting my teeth through my lip, so I will recommend getting one.
Phil Walter / Getty Images
Ardie Savea crosses over to try early in the second half at Eden Park.
“But you know how young people are. They do what they think is best for them. “
Then, in 2016, came Lendrum’s “formal action” warning.
Ardie Savea, Malakai Fekitoa, Ben Smith, Waisake Naholo, Dane Coles and Tawera Kerr-Barlow were seen without mouth guards during the All Blacks series against Wales, at which point Lendrum said: “We are aware of the problem and the All Black management will take care of that. “
Fifteen days later, when Savea, Coles and Vaea Fifita were seen without mouth guards at the Hurricanes vs. Blues Super Rugby game in Wellington, Lendrum said: “While we would rather not take formal action against the players as we would rather achieve Compliance through good education and encouragement is still an option for us if the message doesn’t get through.
“We are working hard to try and educate players on the mandatory requirement to wear mouth guards regardless of whether they are All Blacks or junior rugby players.
Hannah Peters / Getty Images
Ardie Savea tried unsuccessfully to wear goggles during the World Cup last year.
“We have reminded professional players, through communication with Super Rugby teams and with All Blacks management, that this is for their own safety and that they set an example for the younger players.”
Mouth guards aren’t the only protective gear that has caused problems with Savea, either. He made headlines during last year’s World Cup for deciding to wear glasses, however that experiment did not take off, with a broken strap on his debut, before ditching them before the next game because the humidity caused them to fog up.
Savea will miss at least the next All Blacks event, against Australia in Sydney next Saturday night, after being left out of the initial tour team that will depart on Sunday, while awaiting the birth of her second child.
