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Gregor Paul: Time for a return to the golden age of NZ rugby

20 May, 2020 3:00pm
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: We went into the lockdown in March 2020 but hopefully rugby comes out in the 80s.

All Blacks coach Ian Foster might not want to look at how some of his players have dealt with the lockdown. Photo / Mark Mitchell

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Gregor Paul: The secret black mark that could taint Kiwi rugby stars

16 May, 2020 2:00pm
4 minutes to read

COMMENT: Scrutiny on players is going to come as soon as Super Rugby kicks off.

Sam Cane of New Zealand looks on during the Rugby World Cup 2019 Semi-Final match between England and New Zealand. Photo / Getty Images.

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Gregor Paul: The unexpected twist in All Blacks captaincy call

12 May, 2020 2:59pm
5 minutes to read

The decision to drop Cane for World Cup semi-final sent his career on upward trajectory.

NZRU Chairman Brent Impey shakes hands with New Zealand ambassador to Japan, Hamish Cooper as incoming NZRU CEO Mark Robinson looks on during the Rugby World Cup. Photo / Getty Images.

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Gregor Paul: NZ Rugby's mad plot of self-destruction

6 May, 2020 5:00am
4 minutes to read

Comment: It has been an astonishing seven days for New Zealand Rugby's top brass

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Gregor Paul: It's time for heads to roll at NZ Rugby

30 Apr, 2020 3:00pm
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: Castle was brave enough to fall on her sword. NZR executives must follow.

Former Australian Wallabies rugby CEO Raelene Castle. Photo / Brett Phibbs.

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Gregor Paul: The real reason Raelene Castle walked away

24 Apr, 2020 10:34am
4 minutes to read

Give rugby a mile of crisis and they will apply an inch of moral standing to solve it.

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The behind the scenes story: Why the All Blacks really lost the 2007 World Cup

9 Apr, 2020 3:00pm
5 minutes to read

Gregor Paul: Were the ABs paranoid, or were opponents and officials out to get them?

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Gregor Paul: The inside story of Dan Carter's temporary fall from grace

7 Apr, 2020 7:37pm
5 minutes to read

What really happened when Carter fronted the judiciary for the only time in his career.

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Gregor Paul: The day I witnessed Michael Cheika's unforgiving rage

6 Apr, 2020 2:57pm
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: It wasn't a deliberate choice to sit so close to Michael Cheika.

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Gregor Paul: Players will be fine - this is NZ Rugby's real coronavirus concern

21 Mar, 2020 3:00pm
4 minutes to read

COMMENT: No, the players aren't where rugby's real concern should lie at the moment.

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Gregor Paul: New Zealand needs rugby more than ever

20 Mar, 2020 2:55pm
6 minutes to read

COMMENT: Rugby is only a game but it is also important.

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Gregor Paul: What rugby's devastating future looks like now

17 Mar, 2020 4:29pm
4 minutes to read

Comment: Super Rugby is stuffed for 2020. It can't be salvaged now. But what happens next?

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Gregor Paul: The big All Blacks duel - How Hurricanes exposed Chiefs star

14 Mar, 2020 2:30pm
5 minutes to read

The head-to-head battle in Hamilton proved young All Black has newfound composure.

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Gregor Paul: Why sloppy Joe Marler deserves no mercy

14 Mar, 2020 6:00am
6 minutes to read

COMMENT: Rugby coming across as a sport for the antiquated, delusional and warped.

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Gregor Paul: The two reasons Blues fortunes have turned

10 Mar, 2020 2:47pm
5 minutes to read

Comment: Blues turnaround is being driven by two distinct elements related to work ethic.

Ardie Savea of the All Blacks perform the Haka during the 2019 Bledisloe Cup test match between the New Zealand All Blacks and the Wallabies. Photo / Getty Images.

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Gregor Paul: The sad truth about New Zealand Rugby

7 Mar, 2020 10:04am
5 minutes to read

Comment: NZR needs to wake up to the need to win the PR battle at the moment.

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Gregor Paul: The risky move that could save NZ Rugby's big ABs problem

6 Mar, 2020 3:00pm
7 minutes to read

Now is the perfect time to be thinking old school and bricks and mortar for NZ Rugby.

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Gregor Paul: The All Black who stepped up post-World Cup (and the one that hasn't)

4 Mar, 2020 12:30pm
5 minutes to read

It shouldn't be so hard for new All Black coach Ian Foster to make this selection call.

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Gregor Paul: Big changes to Rugby Championship revealed

3 Mar, 2020 2:48pm
3 minutes to read

The Rugby Championship will be revamped in 2021. Here's the plan.

NZ Herald rugby writer Gregor Paul. Photo / Mark Mitchell

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Top five columns of 2019: Gregor Paul

1 Mar, 2020 12:16pm
2 minutes to read

These were the most read columns by rugby writer Gregor Paul in 2019.

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Gregor Paul: Why NZ isn't 'really' growing rugby globally

29 Feb, 2020 12:08pm
5 minutes to read

Comment: Maybe some magic could be injected into rugby by investing in the little guys.

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Gregor Paul: Is this the end of the All Blacks as we know it?

28 Feb, 2020 5:30pm
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: Jumping in bed with private investors will solve one problem - but at what price?

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NZ Rugby in secret talks to 'sell' All Blacks brand

28 Feb, 2020 3:00pm
4 minutes to read

Gregor Paul: Historic move expected as private equity groups circle NZR.

A report, following an investigation by global consulting giant McKinsey, is set to recommend a series of radical changes to New Zealand rugby. Photo / Getty Images

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Cash-strapped NZ Rugby to reveal 'most radical shake-up in 24 years'

27 Feb, 2020 4:30pm
4 minutes to read

Gregor Paul: Report recommends major overhaul as NZR braces for multi-million losses.

Ardie Savea has expressed an interest in switching from rugby union to league, despite being one of the standouts of last year's Rugby World Cup in Japan. Photo / Getty Images

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Gregor Paul: Rugby will lose more than a star player if Ardie Savea walks

25 Feb, 2020 12:30pm
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: Rugby bosses should listen to loose forward's league talk.

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Gregor Paul: Time to add Japan to Rugby Championship?

22 Feb, 2020 7:00pm
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: Japan has had a rugby awakening. This much is beyond dispute.

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Gregor Paul: ABs be warned! Wallabies will rise from Super Rugby rubble

21 Feb, 2020 11:00am
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: He's no stranger to hospital passes - and this one is as big as they get.

All Blacks hooker Dane Coles emotional when asked about his family during their press conference at the team's hotel in Tokyo, Japan. Photo / Mark Mitchell.

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Gregor Paul: Warning signs flashing for 'dumb' All Black star

18 Feb, 2020 12:26pm
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: He's a ferocious competitor on the pitch but Dane Coles needs help - now.

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Gregor Paul: Super Rugby has gone mad for innovative trend

15 Feb, 2020 12:20pm
5 minutes to read

Comment: The All Blacks weren't bucking the trend last year, they were setting it.

Empty stadiums are becoming an increasing trend in Super Rugby. Photo / Getty

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Gregor Paul: The blatant money grab which has left rugby in crisis

14 Feb, 2020 5:00pm
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: Rugby has too many Rod Tidwell's, asking what they get, not what they can give.

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Gregor Paul: The twisted thinking killing rugby - and the easy fix

11 Feb, 2020 1:39pm
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: Plotting Boks, cheating English and struggling Aussies are but three problems.

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Gregor Paul: Militant protection of All Blacks is destroying Super Rugby

9 Feb, 2020 6:38am
5 minutes to read

Comment: Super Rugby contests used to have integrity. Not anymore.

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'Almost unheard of': New skill on show as Blues triumph

8 Feb, 2020 11:00pm
4 minutes to read

It was a deserved victory for the Blues, who played more of the rugby.

Super Rugby may be close to death. Photo / Getty

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Gregor Paul: What South Africa move means for Super Rugby

8 Feb, 2020 3:30pm
4 minutes to read

COMMENT: South Africa can see that Super Rugby is going to collapse next year.

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Gregor Paul: The inconvenient truth World Rugby can't escape

8 Feb, 2020 5:00am
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: Sadly the women's game needs a healthy dose of cynicism.

Hoskins Sotutu of the Blues during the round one Super Rugby match between the Blues and the Chiefs. Photo / Getty Images.

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Gregor Paul: How to fix Blues' leadership problem

4 Feb, 2020 1:31pm
5 minutes to read

The Blues need something other than quiet strong men in their leadership group.

All Blacks coach Ian Foster. Photo / Getty

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Gregor Paul: The difficult All Blacks question confronting Ian Foster

1 Feb, 2020 6:00pm
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: One weekend into Super Rugby and already a difficult question has arisen.

The All Blacks line up for the national anthems ahead of their Rugby World Cup semifinal against England in October. Photo / Getty Images

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Gregor Paul: 'Bloated' NZ Rugby stumbling in the dark while game is dying

31 Jan, 2020 7:00pm
7 minutes to read

Comment: How many New Zealand Rugby employees does it take to change a light bulb?

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Gregor Paul: Blues fans in sweet, blissful denial ahead of Super Rugby

28 Jan, 2020 3:00pm
5 minutes to read

Comment: Beauden Barrett or not, the Blues are about to have their bubble burst - again.

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The 10,000-hour theory: How the All Blacks get back to No 1

24 Jan, 2020 2:30pm
6 minutes to read

Gregor Paul: There's a simple way to rediscover what New Zealand rugby lost after 2018.

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Gregor Paul: Is New Zealand's rugby empire about to collapse?

21 Jan, 2020 3:01pm
5 minutes to read

Comment: Fans' post-World Cup gloom has been compounded by the appointment of Ian Foster.

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Gregor Paul: The day the ABs ceased being 'the people's team'

17 Jan, 2020 8:03am
7 minutes to read

When NZR took AIG's millions the All Blacks ceased to be the people's team.

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Gregor Paul: What Ian Foster must learn to thrive as All Blacks coach

13 Dec, 2019 4:30pm
6 minutes to read

COMMENT: There comes a point when peace has to be made with Ian Foster's appointment.

All Blacks coach Ian Foster. Photo / Getty Images.

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No 'copy and paste' coach: Ian Foster opens up on All Blacks backlash

13 Dec, 2019 8:54am
7 minutes to read

Wednesday this week would have been a curious day for Ian Foster.

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Gregor Paul: Why Ian Foster's critics have got it wrong

12 Dec, 2019 5:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: Somehow in appointing the next All Blacks coach, conservative became a bad word.

Sevu Reece of the Crusaders with Waisake Naholo of the Highlanders after the Super Rugby Quarter Final, Crusaders V Highlanders. Photo / Photosport.co.nz

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Gregor Paul: We're moving dangerously close to Super Rugby's collapse

10 Dec, 2019 2:37pm
4 minutes to read

COMMENT: A serious problem looms that could bring Australian Rugby to its knees.

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Gregor Paul: The 'number one problem' with the future of NZ rugby

7 Dec, 2019 2:00pm
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: It won't be easy but one thing has to change to make rugby more sustainable.

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Gregor Paul: Video has robbed rugby of its essence

6 Dec, 2019 12:00pm
6 minutes to read

COMMENT: The sport has lost its essence as a result of this Orwellian-themed world.

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Gregor Paul: The real reason Pacific rugby nations are suffering

3 Dec, 2019 4:53pm
5 minutes to read

Comment: Eligibility laws are not the problem when it comes to supporting Pacific rugby.

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen before the Rugby World Cup semi-final match between New Zealand and England at International Stadium Yokohama, Japan. Photo / Mark Mitchell.

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Gregor Paul: The biggest myth from All Blacks' failure

30 Nov, 2019 5:00pm
5 minutes to read

Comment: Perception is powerful because the facts paint an entirely different picture.

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Gregor Paul: Why Super Rugby must ditch South Africa

29 Nov, 2019 3:40pm
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: Mehrtens was right to say it's time for Super Rugby to cut South Africa loose.

Former Chiefs coach Dave Rennie has been appointed as Michael Cheika's successor at the Wallabies. Photo / Getty Images

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Gregor Paul: Wallabies' Kiwi coach could be just what All Blacks need

26 Nov, 2019 3:00pm
5 minutes to read

Comment: Dave Rennie's appointment could ensure NZ Rugby pocket millions.

All Blacks star Beauden Barrett announces he will be playing Super Rugby with the Blues from 2020. Photo / Michael Craig.

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Gregor Paul: Reinventing Beaudy - what the next four years will look like

23 Nov, 2019 10:00am
5 minutes to read

Comment: This next cycle is the one where he will likely take his game to new heights.

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Gregor Paul: The man NZ doesn't want as All Blacks coach (but might need)

22 Nov, 2019 3:30pm
7 minutes to read

Comment: The prevailing view is 'anyone but Ian Foster' - but should that matter?

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Gregor Paul: 'Embarrassing' - How ABs coach became the job no one wants

19 Nov, 2019 3:30pm
5 minutes to read

Comment: NZR has effectively steered many of the best candidates into the arms of rivals.

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Gregor Paul: The All Blacks desperately need Joe Schmidt

16 Nov, 2019 5:00pm
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: Joe Schmidt remains the smartest rugby brain New Zealand has.

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Gregor Paul: Why Sam Whitelock is the wrong choice for All Blacks captain

15 Nov, 2019 3:00pm
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: One of the Sams is going to end up as the next captain of the All Blacks.

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Gregor Paul: The NZ Rugby lie exposed during Super Rugby squad namings

12 Nov, 2019 2:30pm
5 minutes to read

Comment: The ethos of the All Blacks is team first. Someone tell that to NZ Rugby.

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Gregor Paul: How SBW could still save Auckland rugby

9 Nov, 2019 3:00pm
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: Williams is all about giving back and Auckland rugby has its hand out.

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Gregor Paul: Why winning tests won't be enough for next All Blacks coach

8 Nov, 2019 5:01pm
6 minutes to read

One coach's disastrous tenure was a turning point for NZ Rugby - in more ways than one.

The victors and the vanquished ... the Springboks celebrating their victory over England in the Rugby World Cup final. Photo / Mark Mitchell

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Gregor Paul: Why nothing will change after Springboks' Cup triumph

3 Nov, 2019 7:00pm
4 minutes to read

COMMENT: World Cup win confirmed what has been apparent the past three years.

Steve Hansen after the bronze medal win. Photo / Getty

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Gregor Paul: How Steve Hansen won the forgotten war - and the hearts of NZ

2 Nov, 2019 6:00pm
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: From being at war to earning adulation, Hansen has come a long way in a decade.