All Blacks captain Sam Cane has suggested NZ Rugby should have waited until after the upcoming Rugby World Cup to begin the process of selecting the new national head coach to succeed Ian Foster.
After months of speculation, NZ Rugby announced on Wednesday it would appoint a new coach to take the reins after this year’s World Cup in the next 4-6 weeks.
That news was swiftly followed by confirmation from Foster he would not be re-applying for the role, expressing his disappointment that NZR wouldn’t wait until after the tournament to undertake that procedure. Crusaders coach Scott Robertson is the leading contender to step into the role.
While he was reluctant to speculate on whether Foster should have reapplied for his role, Cane hints NZ Rugby’s decision on who should replace him should have been delayed until after Foster’s contract had expired at the end of the World Cup.
“You sort of sense that post World Cup makes a lot of sense but this is the route they’ve gone,” Cane told Newshub.
But Cane admits a sense of relief for both himself and his team that they can put the saga behind them and focus on the task at hand.
“I suppose – if anything – it just allows everyone to move on and just focus on this season now without too many more disruptions,” he noted.
“All our energy will just be going into making sure we can win a World Cup and make New Zealand proud.”
More to come
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