Former Crusaders centre Jack Goodhue will not return to New Zealand at the end of the 2024/25 season after penning a contract extension.
The former All Blacks midfielder was a key cog in Scott Robertson’s backline during his successful stint in charge of the Crusaders.
Jack Goodhue extends French stay
However, he hasn’t played under Robertson with the All Blacks after signing a deal to join Castres following the conclusion of the 2023 season.
The 29-year-old was overlooked for Ian Foster’s Rugby Championship squad last year and again for the World Cup after inking a two-year deal with Castres.
With that contract coming to an end at the conclusion of this season, the midfielder has now extended his period with the Top 14 club until June 2027.
“My wife and I are very happy to continue our adventure in Castres,” Goodhue said in a statement on Castres’ website.
“It’s a club whose values of work, authenticity and team spirit I appreciate. I believe in this group and I am convinced that we can go far together. I am very motivated by the prospect of writing beautiful pages in the history of the CO.”
Robertson’s plea
The news of the 18 cap All Black comes after Robertson lured another former Crusader back to New Zealand with Leicester Fainga’anuku rejoining the Canterbury-based side ahead of the 2026 Super Rugby season.
New Zealand Rugby’s selection policy prohibits Robertson from selecting players who are not contracted to a Super Rugby Pacific team in Aotearoa which means that for now, Goodhue’s international career is still on ice.
However, the All Blacks boss has pleaded for this to change in order to keep up with the Springboks and the other top teams in the world.
“We don’t want to be a cycle behind or a couple of years behind,” he told reporters after his team’s victory over Italy.
“Professional rugby is always evolving. Let’s keep an open mind and see what’s next. I’ll definitely be presenting.”
He added: “Using South Africa as an example, they get the opportunity to use a lot of experienced players who are looked after and managed well into their 30s so they’ve got a great balance.
“And they’ve got big squads, they can have two really quality fifteens.”
