Even on an extended break before Super Rugby Pacific, All Blacks first-five Richie Mo'unga has taken a role in helping his Crusaders teammates before the start of the new season.
Mo'unga, 27, has been afforded additional time off before Super Rugby Pacific begins this year, due to a clause in his New Zealand Rugby contract allowing him the break after his All Blacks commitments in 2021.
The All Blacks' first-five will miss the entirety of Super Rugby Pacific's Queenstown bubble, with coach Scott Robertson confirming he'll be available as early as round four.
At present, Simon Hickey and Fergus Burke are the two players vying to fill Mo'unga's shoes in the No.10 jersey, as the Crusaders open their season against the Hurricanes on Saturday night.
But even with the ability to forget about rugby while on his break, Mo'unga has still played a role with the Crusaders, appearing at pre-season training to mentor the side's other playmakers.
"He was in at training, floating around for a couple of weeks before we shot down to Queenstown," Hickey explains.
"It was good to pick his brain a wee bit. He's obviously an outstanding player. I was lucky enough to play with Richie back in New Zealand under 20s, which was about eight years ago now.
"But he's been floating around, and giving us bits of knowledge and things, which has been really helpful for Ferg and I, and just the team in general."
Hickey also says Mo'unga's absence is a chance for either himself of Burke to impress in the early stages of the season.
The 28-year-old shifted south to Christchurch after an injury ravaged stint with the Hurricanes, where he didn't make a single appearance in two seasons thanks to a knee issue.
But now fit and firing again, Hickey is relishing his battle with Burke to be the Crusaders' first-choice No.10.
"With Richie missing the first few weeks of the competition, there's obviously an opportunity there for one of us to get a bit of game time.
"It's been good competition. We've been helping each other out, working together. It's been a good pre-season for us both.
"So hopefully we both get an opportunity within the first few weeks of the competition. Hopefully we both go well."
Join Newshub for live updates of the Crusaders v Hurricanes from 7pm Saturday.
