Deans will be allowed to stay on with Crusaders

Robbie Deans will be allowed to continue his role as coach of the Crusaders despite earlier rumours that he was facing a ban for coaching a Non-New Zealand team.

NZRU chief executive Chris Moller has confirmed that even though Deans will coach the Wallabies until 2012, they will not slap a ban on the Crusaders coach.

NZRU Board policy dictates that under normal circumstances a coach contracted by another tier one union (Six Nations, Sanzar) will not be allowed to coach in the Super 14.

“But Robbie is an exceptional case,” Moller told the NZ Herald.

“He has played for the All Blacks, he has been the assistant coach of the All Blacks, he has an absolutely outstanding record in many years with Canterbury and the Crusaders … and he is a man of great integrity and loyalty.

“On that basis the board and management of the NZRU are absolutely confident that Robbie can wear two hats at the same time.”

“There are a number of issues we need to work through. We still need to sit down and agree to some protocols to put around this rather unique and special set of circumstances,” Moller said.

“We have discussed some of that with Robbie’s advisors at a high level and we’ll proceed to put some more meat around it during the course of the next week.

“They will not be onerous things. Robbie is a man of great integrity and great loyalty. On the basis of that it will be good practice around of him doing what is in the best interests of the Crusaders and making sure intellectual property is protected.