Graham Henry has been re-appointed to the position of All Blacks Coach, the New
Zealand Rugby Union (
NZRU) announced today. The decision of the
NZRU
Board follows interviews with
Henry and the three other short-listed candidates
Colin Cooper,
Robbie Deans and
Ian Foster yesterday.
NZRU
Acting Chairman
Mike Eagle said that the appointment follows a thorough
process, which reflects the importance of this position to
New Zealand
rugby.
Eagle said the Board was very impressed with the interviews and
discussions with all four candidates, which underscored the depth of coaching
talent in
New Zealand rugby. “At the end of the process, the Board
concluded that
Graham Henry was the best candidate for the position,”
he said. “We are all disappointed not to have won the
Rugby World Cup.
In that regard, the
NZRU Board accepts it was jointly responsible and accountable
for the result and the planning that went into the campaign. We are committed
to learning the key lessons, which will be explored in the independent review
announced earlier this week led by
Mike Heron and high performance expert
Don Tricker.”
Eagle said the appointment decision was based
on
Graham’s remarkable results over a four-year tenure. “
Graham’s
record, both on and off the field, is among the best in All Blacks rugby history.
He has set a very high standard in coaching, player management, and integration
with the wider
New Zealand rugby community. He has given a lot in a successful
period for our game and the Board is convinced he has more to give the All Blacks
and
New Zealand rugby. “As a result, we believe that in the best interests
of
New Zealand rugby,
Graham and his team were the right choice.”
Henry has been appointed for a two-year term. “I’m very grateful
for the chance to continue,” said Henry. “We have been a strong
and successful team over the last few years but we were hugely disappointed we
didn’t bring the World Cup back for New Zealanders. We have learnt
lessons from this campaign and we now look forward to being able to build on those
learnings and the experience we have.” Noting Mr. Henry’s achievements,
Mr Eagle said that since taking up his role, the All Blacks had defended the Bledisloe
Cup four times, won the Philips Tri Nations three times, achieved a clean-sweep
of the British and Irish Lions and a Grand Slam in 2005, and was unbeaten at home
and, until the quarter-final loss in Cardiff, was unbeaten in Europe
in four seasons.
