The Crusaders will be without Sam Whitelock for the first leg of their Super Rugby road trip to South Africa after the captain welcomed a baby daughter into his family.
Coach Scott Robertson confirmed the news after the Crusaders' 21-21 draw against the Sharks in Christchurch on Friday.
Whitelock will miss next Saturday's (NZ time) match against the Bulls, but will be on deck for the ensuing game against the Stormers in Cape Town.
"His wife gave birth two days ago," Robertson said. "Hannah and bubs are healthy so he will spend another week with them here."
The Crusaders will also be without outside back Will Jordan for the trip, as he has an ankle injury.
Whitelock, who re-signed with New Zealand Rugby on a four-year deal earlier this week, sat out the match against the Sharks and his experience was missed as the Crusaders had to come from behind to draw.
First-five Mitchell Hunt scored a try after the full-time hooter, which he converted to salvage a draw for the hosts.
Hunt's try was one of three the Crusaders scored, while Sharks pivot Curwin Bosch kicked seven penalty goals for the visitors.
The result ends a 25-match winning run for the Crusaders in Christchurch.
It was also the first time the two teams have drawn, in a head-to-head battle which the Crusaders usually dominate, having won 18 of the 22 previous matches heading into the fixture.
"The Sharks had a great game plan, executed it well and took the time in the game to stop our momentum and our rhythm," Robertson added.
"It's a long run [25 straight] we've had of wins [at Christchurch Stadium]. Teams are really passionate, and they get up for us. It's like a final for them. Good on the Sharks, they played extremely well."
Meanwhile, Sharks coach Robert du Preez said his team were "heartbroken" to come away with a draw.
"We were left heartbroken in the end, but you can't really argue with the three tries that they scored," he said.
"We battled to get our hands on the ball in the second half, and the territory wasn't going our way either. It was always going to be difficult against a quality team like the Crusaders to keep them out.
"The bench made a good impact when they came on. The last five minutes was really telling, and I was really proud of the boys with their tackling at the end there. We made so many tackles, and some of them were really dominant."
The Sharks face the Chiefs in Hamilton next weekend, before returning to South Africa.
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