All Black bad boy Zac Guildford has voluntarily stood down from the Crusaders following his involvement in a late-night incident.
The 23-year-old wing has a history of alcohol problems and has admitted being involved in the incident after attending a private house party. The incident is now being investigated by the Crusaders and the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU).
"We and the Crusaders were very disappointed to learn of this incident. As a result, the NZRU has initiated misconduct proceedings against Zac," NZRU chief executive Steve Tew said in a statement.
"We will be meeting with Zac and his representative in the following week to discuss the matter, and next steps.
"As his employer, we want to ensure that the process respects Zac's right to a fair hearing so we do not wish to comment further at this stage," Tew added.
Guilford, in November 2011, was banned for four matches and ordered to undergo alcohol counselling after a naked, drunken rampage in the Cook Islands.
He also escaped a playing ban at the 2011 World Cup after an alcohol-related incident prior to the tournament.
Guildford, who had previously apologised for his "excessive drinking", is taking time to resolve matters, including the NZRU misconduct process.
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