NZ Rugby World December/January 2022

jim@nzrugbyworld.co.nz IT WAS OSCAR WILDE WHO SAID, ‘THERE IS ONLY ONE THING IN LIFE WORSE THAN BEING TALKED ABOUT, AND THAT IS NOT BEING TALKED ABOUT’. For the Black Ferns, the silence in the wake of their defeats to England and France - four in a row - has been deafening, and should be a concern ahead of next year’s women’s World Cup in New Zealand. It seems few people cared that the Black Ferns were getting thumped by England and France. There was the odd media report or comment on radio that pointed, accurately, to their lack of rugby leading into the tour, and former player Alice Soper wrote for newsroom.co.nz that “if the last two weeks were a shock, you simply haven’t been paying attention”. She went on to say a chronic lack…

By most other country’s standards the All Blacks have had a good year They played 15 tests and won 12 of those. That’s an 86% win rate for the year. During it they smashed Six Nations champions Wales 54-16, beat Australia in three consecutive tests to retain the Bledisloe Cup, and won the Rugby Championship beating Argentina twice and sharing the spoils with World Champions South Africa. They did most of that on the road with the All Blacks playing 10 tests outside New Zealand from September 12 through to November 21. Along the way we witnessed the rise of Dalton Papali’i and Ethan Blackadder as test-standard loose forwards, the return from injury of Sam Cane and Dane Coles, and the emergence of the attacking class of Will Jordan and the highly impressive…

In the realm of political science, powerbrokers are those who work away behind the seat of power, exerting influence, organising voting blocs or favours in exchange for financial benefits and even more power. Rugby has reached a crossroads with the realisation that the traditional outlets of power - wealthy white men sitting around a boardroom table (“old farts” as Will Carling might call them) - have limitations in their vision and ability to grasp new ideas. To that end, private equity has started to pour into the game as it seeks to conquer new, digitally focused, worlds. Luxembourg-based giants CVC Capital Partners have made heavy investments in European and South African rugby, American outfit Silver Lake are looking to do the same in Australasia. It is against that backdrop that New Zealand rugby’s…

Marcus Kennedy would love to meet the young fella who took the mickey out of him when he said his career goal was to work for Sky Sport. Roped in to speak at a careers expo while he was studying journalism, Kennedy, barely 18 at the time, was asked where he wanted his career to go. “I said I wanted to work for Sky and this kid said, ‘well that ain’t going to happen’. To be fair, I probably agreed with him.” They were both wrong. Kennedy has been at Sky for 18 years, steadily working his way up the ranks to now be the executive producer of live sport. His finger print is on all the live sport we see on the telly, especially in rugby, which is his passion. It is Kennedy who picks…

It took a while but they’ve got there. Some 30 years since their first official test the Black Ferns have finally played their 100th, and although the heavy defeat to England was far from the result or performance we’ve come to expect, the milestone gives cause to reflect. The history may be comparatively short, but it is compelling as generations of women fought for the right to play and be recognized. The first official test was against Canada at the 1991 World Cup in Glamorgan, a side captained by Helen Littleworth and featuring the now legendary Anna Richards. However, the year before a precursor to the World Cup was held in Christchurch, featuring New Zealand, The Netherlands, Soviet Union, USA and a World XV as well as a club competition component. While…

With hands clasped behind his back and a slight lean towards the huddle, Allan Bunting circles the outside of his playing group, resisting the urge to have a say. He trusts his players, trusts that his leaders know what needs to be focused on at halftime. They’ve never given him and co-coach Cory Sweeney any reason to doubt it’s the wrong approach. It became a familiar sight for any observer of the Black Ferns Sevens over the past six years. Bunting and Sweeney, quietly watching and listening as the likes of Sarah Hirini, Tyla Nathan-Wong and Ruby Tui helped guide them to win after win. Having started as a talent scout for the Go For Gold programme when sevens became an Olympic sport, to assistant coach, head coach and co-coach, Bunting has…