Steve Hansen. Photo / Sarah Ivey
"Shag" has replaced "Ted" - and new All Black coach Steve Hansen has laughed off his nickname.
When asked by the Weekend Herald why his players and friends call him Shag, Hansen laid the blame at the feet of the man who appointed him All Black coach yesterday.
"Like every
nickname there's a story behind it and unfortunately it's not the story that everyone thinks it is.
"Basically you can blame [NZRU chief executive] Steve Tew for it, because when I started work at the Canterbury Rugby Union there were two Steves, and every time somebody said Steve we both went to answer.
"And he wanted to be the boss, and was the boss, and so he came up with the nickname."
