Taking some time to reflect after the Black Ferns World Cup campaign, director of rugby Allan Bunting decided it was time for him to step away from his position at the helm.
It wasn’t an immediate conclusion.
After landing back on home soil following the side’s third-place finish in England, Bunting remained switched on, mulling over the tournament and providing feedback in the review of the campaign by New Zealand Rugby (NZR).
“After World Cup, you come off and you don’t stop for the next two or three weeks because your mind’s trying to find the reasons and I wanted to make sure I did the review really well,” Bunting told the Herald.
“I’ve put my absolute heart and soul, so have all our management and our ladies, in the last three years and I’m really proud of what we’ve built.
“There’s been massive growth on and off the field and it’s just come to a place where I know that it’s time for change for me and a change for the programme, with a real hope that we can find someone that can take this programme to the next level.”
Bunting’s decision not to seek reappointment, for now, brings an end to a long spell leading high-performance programmes with NZR.
After four years as an assistant coach with the Black Ferns Sevens, he took over as head coach of the team in 2016. He took a break from the role in 2019, but returned as co-coach alongside Cory Sweeney, leading the side to Olympic gold in Tokyo in 2021.
In his time with the Black Ferns Sevens, he was part of two World Cup wins, an inaugural Commonwealth Games gold, two Olympic campaigns and six World Series wins.
He then led Chiefs Manawa to the inaugural Super Rugby Aupiki title in 2022, before joining the Black Ferns as manager of culture and leadership for their successful 2022 Rugby World Cup campaign.
In 2023, he was appointed the successor to Sir Wayne Smith, leading the national side for the past three years.
“I got to a place where I was really content with what I’d done and it’s probably not just the last three years. For me, it’s been that I haven’t really stopped,” Bunting said.
“I feel like I’ve given everything I’ve had to give. I just think the programme is in a place now where I’ve given it all the support and built some good foundations and it’s time for change in there too, and someone else to take it to the next level.”
NZR will begin their search for a new head coach for the Black Ferns now, aiming to have the role filled by Christmas.
NZR general manager of professional rugby and performance Chris Lendrum said they had no preconceived ideas for candidates who might fill that role.
“We’re really open. We want the very, very best person for this role,” Lendrum said.
“It’s a premium role, in charge of a high-performance programme with great expectations, some great support staff and wonderful players associated with the programme who we all expect to go forward.”
Since Bunting took over in 2023, the Black Ferns recorded 17 wins, seven losses and a draw. However, in 12 tests against the other four sides ranked in the top five – England, Canada, France and Ireland – they had just four wins to seven losses and a draw.
Without wanting to go into specifics about the review, Lendrum said the feedback given by Bunting and the Black Ferns coaching staff brought up some key themes regarding the team’s World Cup campaign.
That feedback would now be considered, with insights and recommendations on how to move forward.
“There’s been some great strides made by the programme over the last three years; very strong management and support staff in the programme – probably the strongest that we’ve had across the board with the Black Ferns,” Lendrum said.
“The strength and conditioning and physical profile of players, their professional habits have increased and improved dramatically and the culture of the team’s been in a really good place.
“But ultimately, we didn’t get the performances that we really wanted, that particularly the players and management desperately wanted, at World Cup. The team definitely showed flashes of what they’re capable of and this next period over the next couple of years will be about taking our on-field performances to the next level, and I know we’ve got the capability in our game to do that.”
The new head coach will face an immediate increase in the number of tests, with the new WXV Global Series scheduling the Black Ferns for 10 outings in 2026 – three more than their regular calendar over the past few years.
It was an area of the build-up to their tournament that was questioned consistently, with the Black Ferns only playing four tests and a trial against the Black Ferns XV before their World Cup opener.
Bunting felt there were a few areas of growth for the programme moving forward, but noted the expanded test calendar in 2026 was a major boost.
“We all know that the greatest teacher of the game is the game, and I think that we’ll see that come to life. It’s just probably in that rugby space, getting them playing more rugby.”
When asked if he felt the team had been set up to succeed as well as they could have been in that space, Bunting said NZR had given him everything he asked for around the team and schedule for the year.
“Then obviously at the back of that, we see the test schedule next year, which has definitely grown and there’s going to be plenty of rugby. Everything that I’ve asked for from Chris Lendrum, he’s definitely delivered and been a massive support.”
As for what was on the horizon, Bunting said he wouldn’t be rushing into anything.
“I love seeing the potential in things and bringing it to life and that’s something that really drives me. But it’s probably a good time to really stop and think and work out what’s the best thing for me and my family moving forward,” he said.
“I’m really content with where I am now and I have massive gratitude to New Zealand Rugby – the last 14 years I’ve had the life beyond my wildest dreams.
“If I can, I’ll give back to New Zealand Rugby in some way, but at the moment I’m just going to wait and make the next right decision for me and my family.”
Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.