Scott Robertson’s treatment of Blues flanker Dalton Papali’i directly resulted in the full-back’s decision to leave New Zealand and sign for Castres, according to a report.
Once tipped to captain the All Blacks, fullback Papali’i has retired from international duty this season as the Blues icon will pack his bags for the Top 14 club after the end of the Super Rugby Pacific.
The 36-Test midfielder clashed repeatedly with former coach Robertson and was one of 25 players interviewed during a comprehensive review of the 2025 All Blacks season, despite being repeatedly overlooked, as the board sought feedback on how he got in and out of the team.
According to the report of New Zealand HeraldThe manner in which Robertson dealt with Papali’i in 2025 sparked conversation among the club, especially after he became a consistent member of the playing group last year.
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The rift between the former All Blacks boss and the back-row has been fueled by a lack of communication over non-selection and led to Papali’i turning down an end-of-season call-up last year after deciding to exercise part of his contract to leave New Zealand.
“The Herald has been told that it was the plight of Blues captain Dalton Papali’i that became something of a legend among his teammates, and a totem for their collective struggles,” Gregor Paul wrote.
“Papali’i began Robertson’s tenure as first-choice, but was dropped on day 23 midway through the Rugby Championship.
“Well-placed sources say Papali’i clashed regularly with Robertson throughout 2024, and when the former was selected for the end-of-year tour, but unable to travel due to a back injury, he was upset by the head coach’s public message.
“Robertson said several times that he expected Papali’i to join the tour, but the call never came and the relationship soured.”
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Picking the Blues forward for the final Test match against France last year was seen as an ‘olive branch’ and in the comments after the game, Papali’i expected to be included in the Rugby Championship squad that traveled to Argentina.
“It is at this point that Robertson and Papali’i’s views seem to diverge,” the report added.
“The Herald has been told by NZR that Robertson feels clear about the circumstances in which Papali’i was told he would stay with the All Blacks and travel to Argentina for the Rugby Championship trials.
“It was a matter of whether the other players had recovered from injury.” The Herald understands that Papali’i, however, left the conversation 99% knew he was going to Argentina, so he was disappointed when the team was called and he was not there.
“He did not receive any communication on this matter, at which time he instructed his agent to tell NZR that he would invoke the early exit clause in his contract if he was not selected by the All Blacks.”
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Castres moved
Papali’i was eventually selected for the All Blacks XV by Jamie Joseph and would captain the team in games against Uruguay and the Barbarians before being called into Robertson’s squad for the final Test of the year against Wales.
However, the report says he turned down the call and informed New Zealand Rugby that he will sign a deal overseas, joining former All Blacks center Jack Goodhue at Castres.
“He turned down the invitation, telling NZR he was ready to leave (he will join French club Castres later this year) and that this opportunity would be better spent by someone else,” Paul continued, adding “The whole business became sad and unnecessary.”
It is added that Papali’i is a ‘loved and respected’ All Black and his story affected his teammates with his decision to pack his bags for Southern France as a ‘seminal moment and is considered a ‘symbol of the confusion that reigned’.
This is in line with previous reports that players were left in the dark about the reasons why they were not selected for the team where the head coach usually leaves explanations to his assistant coaches to handle.
It was a shock to the Blues players when the report revealed that head coach Vern Cotter contacted Robertson on behalf of the players and the former All Blacks boss was happy to do so.
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