Steve Hansen and Ian Foster. Photo / Andrew Cornaga, Photosport
Steve Hansen and Ian Foster. Photo / Andrew Cornaga, Photosport
Ian Foster and Sir Steve Hansen are coaching together in Japan with Toyota Verblitz.
Foster reflected on his All Blacks tenure, emphasising team growth despite intense scrutiny.
Both coaches discussed the challenges and rewards of leadership and their enduring passion for rugby.
Te Ao With Moana reporter Hikurangi Kimiora Jackson met the duo in Japan to reflect on their coaching journeys, the pressures of the All Blacks job and why they’re still drawn to the game.
Sir Steven Hansen and Ian Foster are embracing the new challenge of coaching in the Japan Rugby League One.
Now reunited as coaches of Toyota Verblitz, the former All Blacks coaches say the move to Japan is both refreshing and familiar.
“It’s been a big change but, in some ways, it’s the same,” Foster told Te Ao with Moana.
“The players are like Kiwi boys, keen to learn. I love that challenge.”
Former All Blacks coach Ian Foster chats with Hikurangi Jackson.
Raised in Putāruru and Tokoroa, Foster credited his whānau and upbringing, particularly his father (a barber-turned-minister) for shaping his values. He said there were always different people at home for meals, which had exposed him to diverse ways of life.
“It was quite humbling and what I learned is that it’s a privilege to be allowed into other people’s lives,” Foster said.
“When you think about coaching, we have a lot of positional power because we are the coach. But the reality is, it’s our job to help them [the players] grow, learn and develop. That’s what I love.”
Foster played 148 games for Waikato and 26 for the Chiefs before coaching both teams.
He later joined the All Blacks as an assistant coach under Hansen and was a part of the 2015 World Cup win.
Then in 2020, he stepped into the head coach role.
Foster’s tenure from 2020 to 2023 was marked by intense public scrutiny after a mixed bag of results. In 2023, New Zealand Rugby (NZR) would make a controversial mid-season announcement that Scott Robertson would replace Foster after the World Cup.
Despite the pressure, Foster said his goal had been to stay focused on the team’s performance.
Former All Blacks coach Ian Foster.
“The only thing we could control at the time was how we played. Yeah, it changed the whole nature of the year,” Foster said,
“But at the end of the day, what am I proud of? I’m proud of the way that the team, particularly the leadership group in that team just sort of dealt with the issues and said, ‘Right, okay, well this may not be perfect for us, but we are going to do what we need to do.’
Despite his critics, Foster and his team came incredibly close to winning the 2023 Rugby World Cup. While losing the favourites tag and a loss to France, Foster and his team bounced back to defeat World Cup favourites Ireland in the quarter-finals, went on to beat Argentina in the semifinals only to just lose against the Springboks in the final. That was despite playing most of the game fielding only 14 men, the All Blacks almost stole the match, falling short at just 12-11.
When asked whether the former coach still thinks about the World Cup final, Foster jokingly replied: “Whenever I feel like I want to get depressed again, I’ll go and think about it.
“Yeah, we lost, but I also know everything that went into it and the story behind it.”
Foster is comforted by the hope that the country saw all the effort and journey the team went through in the preceding months. Despite returning home without the World Cup trophy, Foster was comforted by the positive feedback from fans. He was initially worried.
“It’s almost like we’re scared to be okay because it’s like, ‘Oh, we accept losing,’ but I don’t think it’s a matter of accepting losing. No one wants to lose, and we know that. And I think the country knew that,” Foster explained, sharing his belief that the country understood the character and perseverance exercised by his players.
During that time, Foster faced immense pressure, particularly from the media. He admitted it had been tough but insisted he held no hard feelings, crediting his whānau for keeping him grounded.
“Look, the media just do their job, so I don’t begrudge that at all,” Foster said. He shares advice borne out of his own experience.
“You’ve got to value the other things in life because otherwise the job can become all-encompassing. You can’t just pay token attention to your family and friends. They’re the ones that are with you on the journey to get there and they’re there for you on the journey afterwards.”
Foster described his coping mechanism.
“I used to share it with my family and friends about what was going on, about how I felt to make sure that people didn’t sort of create too much tension worrying about me from the side. So that’s kind of my secret.”
Hansen, who led the All Blacks from 2012 to 2019, echoed Foster’s sentiments on the toll of the job.
“You’re away over 235 nights a year,” Hansen said. “When you’re home, you try to be as present as possible. I was fortunate I had great support from my wife and kids.”
Hansen also spoke candidly about “leadership loneliness” and burnout.
“It’s definitely lonely because you’re at the top, so you’ve got to make some tough decisions and some of those decisions hurt people,” Hansen said. “Rugby’s about creating a family environment. But it’s also about the team first, and the people in it second. So, you’re making decisions that you think at the time are right for the team.
That can leave you out on a limb, but it’s what the team needs. Then at other times, you can be surrounded by people and still feel that loneliness.”
Now coaching together again in Japan, both men said the pull of the game remained strong.
“What you miss is the camaraderie,” said Hansen. “The big games, the adrenaline – you can’t replicate that.”
When asked if All Blacks coaches struggle to move on from the highs of the top job, Foster admitted that he had not.
“I made a decision in 2023 to not talk to anyone else about a job till after the World Cup. And that’s because I just felt our team had been through so much before that, and so many things were put it out there that I just wanted the team to know I was 100% in. So, what that did is it meant when I got back from the World Cup, I was basically ineffectively lost a year coaching because all the overseas jobs were gone. I was at peace with that because I felt it was the right thing for the All Blacks for 2023. It also made me think about, well, what am I passionate about? And I’ve decided I’m passionate about coaching still. I’m going keep growing. And then we will, one day there’ll be a time to blow the whistle on it, but it’s not right now.”
Watch the full video interview on Māori + or on Te Ao with Moana socials.
