As NZ Rugby ‘kingmaker’, David Kirk’s pick for Scott Robertson’s replacement will define the All Blacks’ year ahead – and path to the 2027 World Cup.
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Razor’s rapid fall
Scott Robertson’s dream role as All Blacks coach unravelled faster than anyone expected. Hailed just years earlier as New Zealand rugby’s future after seven straight Super Rugby titles with the Crusaders – and after vocally campaigning for the job he missed out on in 2019 – Robertson became the first All Blacks coach ever to be officially fired, cut loose midway through his four-year term. RNZ notes that cracks had emerged early in his tenure: assistant Leon MacDonald quit after eight months over clashes in attacking philosophy, followed by fellow assistant Jason Holland’s departure, leaving whispers of a dysfunctional coaching setup. RNZ’s Jamie Wall reports that senior players had lost faith in Robertson’s “big picture” approach, which failed to fix performance issues that were brutally exposed in September’s historic 43–10 thrashing by South Africa in Wellington.
An end-of-year review, capturing that grim mood, convinced NZ Rugby’s board – after a three-hour meeting – that Robertson had “[lost] the changing room”, despite his 74% win rate (20 from 27 tests). He said he was “gutted” by the decision, but agreed to step aside early, paving the way for a new team ahead of the 2027 World Cup.
Kirk thrust into kingmaker role
NZ Rugby now confronts a high-performance mess, writes Paul Lewis in the Herald (paywalled). In recent years, six coaches have been axed or walked – Robertson, his predecessor Ian Foster, and assistant coaches Brad Mooar, John Plumtree, MacDonald and Holland – fuelling talk of an organisation prone to panicky decision-making rather than careful strategy. Lewis says Robertson’s firing was a defining test for chair David Kirk, who took up the role in February last year. By sacking Robertson, the former All Black acted decisively mid-World Cup cycle in response to damning player feedback, Lewis writes, bypassing the half-measures the organisation had tried with Foster.
With CEO Mark Robinson having left at the end of last year and no replacement yet appointed, Kirk will assume “kingmaker” status, personally steering the search for a new coach. As Lewis writes, “The cutting of Razor is likely the first stroke of many on which Kirk’s reputation will depend” – especially with a brutal 2026 schedule looming, including four Springboks tests, two Bledisloe tests, and the new Nations Championship.
The hunt for the next coach begins
The frontrunner to replace Robertson is Jamie Joseph, whose steady rise from Highlanders coach to All Blacks XV leader on last year’s European tour has long suggested a succession plan. Joseph’s lengthy coaching career includes a successful stint as the head coach of Japan, which he led to historic wins over Scotland and Ireland at the 2019 World Cup. “NZR are rumoured to be interested in freeing the innovative Tony Brown from his South African obligations [and former Wallabies coach] Dave Rennie is off-contract in Japan soon,” writes Lewis, suggesting they may join Joseph in the new coaching team.
The vibes were off
In The Spinoff, shortly before the firing became public, Calum Henderson floated a cheeky fix for NZ sport’s coaching woes: swap Robertson with the Silver Ferns’ Dame Noeline Taurua. Her “hard-arse” edge, blamed by some players for last year’s chaotic stand-down saga, would inject the ruthlessness All Blacks fans crave post-Razor. Whereas Robertson’s “chilled-out entertainer” vibe is perhaps better suited to international netball than test rugby’s pressure cooker. As Henderson quipped, the Netball NZ and NZ Rugby reviews boiled down to one diagnosis: “the vibes are off. Get them right, and all of our problems will be solved.”
