Former New Zealand Rugby chief executive David Moffett says now’s the time to make Robbie Deans the All Blacks coach.
Moffett critiqued the current state of New Zealand Rugby after yesterday’s shock departure of Scott Robertson.
“I guess it’s a normal day in New Zealand rugby, isn’t it? When youhave a look at the recent past, I’ve sort of given up trying to understand what their strategies are, you know, what their purpose is,” he told Newstalk ZB’s Summer Breakfast with Andrew Dickens.
“And there’s not really much point in actually trying to understand what’s happened. So they have to move on. They currently don’t have a chief executive, they don’t have a coach. I don’t think they’ve got some other senior people working in there, they haven’t filled those positions. I think the place is in a bit of a mess.”
New Zealand Rugby Commercial Ltd (NZRC) boss Craig Fenton left the company just over a year into the role.
Earlier this week, it was announced that high-performance boss Mike Antony was leaving for English Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion.
Moffett, who was chief executive of NZR from 1996 to 2000, said he had faith in chairman David Kirk, who fronted the media yesterday after the announcement of Robertson’s departure.
“I think it’s taken too long, but I know David well, he’s a really good guy and hopefully he finds the right people to put in place. And that’s really what the focus should be on now. The past is the past, and what is going to happen in the future.”
Moffett suggested former Wallabies and Crusaders coach Robbie Deans would be the ideal candidate to take over as All Blacks coach.
Former Wallabies coach Robbie Deans during the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Photo / Photosport
“If I was the CEO, I know what I would be doing. Firstly, I would be getting the winningest coach in recent history by a Kiwi, still has the most wins in a win-loss record with the Australian Rugby Union in the professional era. I wouldn’t hesitate and go and get Robbie Deans to take us to the World Cup.
“What do you want in a coach? One thing. Somebody who wins. Somebody who can understand how to win. That’s all that matters, you know, so I can’t think of a coach out there who’s got a better win-loss record than Robbie Deans.
“And he most likely wouldn’t want it, but you know, I know him well, I know what he’s done up in Japan, what he did with the Wallabies, with the Crusaders. I mean, that’s who I’d go for.”
Kirk said yesterday that NZR was “going to cast the net wide” for a new coach.
“We’re going to get as many people as we can. We think that coaching the All Blacks is one of the greatest rugby coaching roles in the world, and we’re very hopeful we’ll see plenty of highly qualified candidates.”
