Pau sack Former All Blacks fly-half Tom Taylor

Top-14 club Pau have sacked former All Blacks fly-half Tom Taylor.

Taylor left France to return home to New Zealand without the permission of the club during the coronavirus pandemic after the Top 14 rugby season was abandoned with no champion or relegation.

The three test All Black left France on March 17 despite being asked to remain in the country in case the Top 14 resumed at short notice, the club said in a statement on their website.

"The club had no other recourse than to initiate a dismissal procedure against Mr. Tom Taylor," read the statement.

Taylor could not be immediately reached for comment.

Taylor, the son of former All Blacks inside-centre Warwick, was called into the national side in 2013 when fellow fly-halves Dan Carter, Beauden Barrett and Aaron Cruden were all injured. He left New Zealand in 2015 and joined Toulon before heading to Pau in 2016.

He follows fellow All Blacks Colin Slade and Ben Smith in departing the club.