Scott Robertson’s treatment of Blues flanker Dalton Papali’i directly resulted in the back-rower’s decision to leave New Zealand and sign for Castres, according to a report.
Once tipped to be an All Blacks captain, back-rower Papali’i has given up on his international career this year as the Blues skipper will pack his bags for the Top 14 club following the conclusion of Super Rugby Pacific.
The 36-Test cap loose forward is understood to have repeatedly clashed with former head coach Robertson and was one of the 25 players who were interviewed during the thorough review of the 2025 All Blacks’ season, despite being repeatedly overlooked, as the board sought observations about how he transitioned in and out of the squad.
According to a report by The New Zealand Herald, the manner in which Robertson dealt with Papali’i in 2025 fueled the discourse amongst the squad, particularly after he was a consistent member of the playing group the year prior.
Papali’i and Robertson discourse
The disputes between the ex-All Blacks boss and the back-rower stemmed from a lack of communication over his non-selection and led to Papali’i rejecting a call-up to the end-of-year squad last year after deciding to activate a clause in 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 cause celebre among teammates, and the totem for their collective gripes,” Gregor Paul wrote.
“Papali’i began the Robertson era as the first-choice openside but was relegated from the matchday 23 midway through the Rugby Championship.
“Well-placed sources say Papali’i clashed often with Robertson throughout 2024, and when the former was picked for the end-of-the-year tour, but unable to travel because of a hamstring injury, he was confused by the head coach’s public messaging.
“Robertson said several times that he expected Papali’i to join the tour, but the call-up never came and the relationship soured.”
Selecting the Blues loose forward for the final Test match against France last year was seen as an ‘olive branch’ and on the feedback after the game, Papali’i expected to be included in the Rugby Championship squad that travelled to Argentina.
“It’s at this point that Robertson’s and Papali’i’s perspectives appear to diverge,” the report added.
“The Herald has been told by NZR that Robertson felt he was clear about the circumstances under which Papali’i was told he’d remain with the All Blacks and travel to Argentina for the Rugby Championship tests.
“It was a call-up contingent on whether other players recovered from injury. The Herald understands that Papali’i, though, came away from the conversation 99% certain he was going to Argentina and was, therefore, disappointed when the squad was named and he wasn’t in it.
“He received no communication about the matter, at which point he instructed his agent to tell NZR that he would be invoking a clause in his contract to quit early if he was not selected by the All Blacks.”
Castres move
Papali’i was ultimately selected for the All Blacks XV by Jamie Joseph and would captain the team in the matches against Uruguay and the Barbarians before being called up to Robertson’s team for the final Test of the year against Wales.
However, the report states he rejected a call-up and informed New Zealand Rugby that he would be signing a deal overseas, joining ex-All Blacks centre Jack Goodhue at Castres.
“He rejected the invitation, telling NZR that he was committed to leaving (he will join French club Castres later this year) and that the opportunity would be better used by somebody else,” Paul continued, adding “The whole business reeked of sadness and needlessness.”
It’s added that Papali’i is a ‘well-liked and respected’ All Black and his story resonated with teammates with his decision to pack his bags for Southern France being a ‘seminal moment’ and viewed as ’emblematic of the confusion that reigned’.
This aligns with previous reports that players were left in the dark on the reasons why they were not selected for the team with the head coach often leaving the explanations to his assistant coaches to handle.
It was a particular gripe for the Blues players with the report revealing that it reached the point that head coach Vern Cotter contacted Robertson on the players’ behalf with the former All Blacks boss happy to oblige.