All Blacks Coaching Plan Unravels as Key Personnel Depart
Auckland, New Zealand - New Zealand Rugby’s (NZR) strategy for installing scott Robertson as all Blacks head coach is facing scrutiny following the unexpected departure of performance coach Sir Wayne smith and, more recently, NZR CEO Mark Holland. The unfolding events raise questions about the thoroughness of the vetting process surrounding Robertson’s appointments and overall coaching structure.
The situation began to come into focus when then-head coach Ian Foster became aware that Robertson was receiving direct communication from the NZR board regarding the appointment process, ahead of data being shared with Foster himself. This led Foster to believe NZR had effectively assured Robertson in august 2022, after he was overlooked for the position for a second time, that a third attempt would be unlikely.
Despite previous reservations, the board ultimately announced Robertson as the All Blacks coach-in-waiting in March 2023, concurrently approving the same wider coaching team that had previously been a source of concern. Initial anxieties about the team lacking a seasoned veteran were seemingly addressed with the appointment of Sir Wayne Smith as a newly created “performance coach.” However, the role’s specifics remained vague, described by some as a “light-touch consultancy position.”
The reversal in the board’s assessment – rejecting Robertson and his team in both 2019 and 2022, only to embrace them in 2023 – is now under examination.Previously, the board expressed doubts about Robertson’s proposed coaching structure, which envisioned him as a “culture coach” with individual coaches responsible for specialist units, mirroring an NFL model. This structure was later lauded as “high-performance thinking.”
With Holland’s departure, questions are being raised about whether NZR adequately scrutinized Robertson’s coaching appointments and setup, or if securing his services was the sole objective.
