Zac Guildford has been granted permission to return to Canterbury Crusaders following a New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) disciplinary hearing.
The All Blacks winger has been involved in a strong of alcohol-related incidents over the last 15 months, and the governing body is said to have been considering whether to terminate his contract.
However, NZRU concluded that there were "mitigating circumstances" behind the indiscretions and acknowledged that Guildford is seeking professional help.
"This decision was not reached lightly or hastily, and follows a very thorough misconduct process and consultation with medical experts," said NZRU general manager of professional rugby Neil Sorensen.
"Despite the serious misconduct, we found that there were sufficient mitigating circumstances to believe that Zac can continue to make a significant contribution to New Zealand rugby provided that he observes the conditions and continues with his path to recovery."
Guildford issued his own statement expressing his gratitude at being given another chance, and insisting that he is "serious" about "getting [his] life heading in the right direction".
Mark Langshaw
