New Black Caps coach Rob Walter’s home is Hawke’s Bay

Rob Walter has been announced as the new Black Caps coach. Photo / Photosport

For new Black Caps coach Rob Walter, home is where the heart is – and that home is Hawke’s Bay.

Born in Johannesburg, Walter moved to New Zealand nine years ago and, after coaching Otago for five years, became the head coach of the Central Stags in 2021.

Despite moving on to coach South Africa’s white-ball cricket team in 2023, Hawke’s Bay remained home for Walter, his wife Heather Walter and their two sons.

“It was great to come up to Hawke’s Bay and coach Central Districts. It was an awesome opportunity to become head coach and we managed to do quite nicely as a team and working with a great bunch of guys,” Rob Walter says.

“I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Central [Districts] and the people were so welcoming and it’s still very, very close to my heart. Hawke’s Bay and Havelock North in particular is home for me and Central Districts will always be part of my journey.

“Both of our boys are at school here and we’re very settled. For me, it was important to create consistency for the boys and the family in particular. We love it here.”

Walter’s time in charge of the Stags was a successful one, reaching the Ford Trophy 50-over final in his first season, before winning that competition the next season, along with the first-class Plunket Shield title. During that time, he was also appointed head coach for the New Zealand A tour against India A.

Despite the Stags’ success, which continued this season as they won the T20 Super Smash competition, batter Will Young was their only player named recently in New Zealand Cricket’s list of 20 centrally contracted players, with previously contracted players Ajaz Patel and Josh Clarkson missing out this time.

But Walter is quick to confirm that there are opportunities for players outside that list to gain selection at international level.

“Ultimately, coaches are only ever trying to achieve one thing and that’s having the best team on the field to give your country the best chance of winning.

“We’ve also seen a large number of players used over the last 12 to 18 months to represent the Black Caps so there’s certainly opportunity outside of the contracted group.”

Walter’s tenure at the Stags also coincided with the development of world-class facilities at the Hawke’s Bay Regional Sports Park. And since his departure to lead South Africa, the Rodney Green Foundation indoor cricket centre has opened, and teams such as New Zealand A have based themselves in Hastings to take advantage of the facilities, which also include the impressive outdoor “greenhouse facility”, which is home to 16 grass pitches.

So will we see the Black Caps here?

“If I’ve got anything to do with it, I would have the team here at the drop of a hat. All the feedback from everyone is how much they enjoy what there is to offer here now, so I wouldn’t be surprised if you see more and more cricket activity here,” Walter says.