Foster eyes stint in Japan
Former All Blacks coach joins number of Kiwis in roles in lucrative league
Former All Blacks coach Ian Foster has landed a new job. Five months after leading the All Blacks to the Rugby World Cup final, Foster let slip last week he had put ink to paper on his next coaching move — but did not reveal the destination.
The Herald understands Foster is expected to rekindle his coaching partnership with Sir Steve Hansen at wealthy Japanese club Toyota Verblitz.
Hansen, as head coach, and Foster, as assistant, worked hand in hand with the All Blacks for eight years (2012-2019) — a period which included the side’s only foreign World Cup success in 2015.
Following the 2019 World Cup semifinal defeat, Hansen joined Toyota as director of rugby while Foster secured promotion from assistant to lead the New Zealand men.
Foster’s four-year tenure concluded after the agonising onepoint World Cup final defeat to South Africa in Paris last October, and he said on The Platform last week that he had signed a new contract.
In a controversial move, New Zealand Rugby opted to appoint Scott Robertson to succeed Foster prior to the next World Cup.
As he stepped down from the All Blacks, Foster made it clear he planned to continue coaching.
“I’ve got lots of ideas but first I’m going to mow my lawns,” Foster said in France.
“I will be coaching though, by the way.
“Any time I got offered any opportunity to coach after the World Cup, I said I wasn’t interested, until after the World Cup, to talk about it. I felt the team deserved to have an All Black[s] head coach that they knew was 100 per cent committed to this team right now.
“There are no secret plans. It may be my stubborn pride but I didn’t want them reading that I was talking to someone else because I don’t think that’s conducive to a team environment. Technically I’ll get home and on the 1st of November be unemployed.”
Foster is unemployed no more. At this point, Foster’s job title at Toyota is unclear but with the club struggling, sitting midtable in the League One competition with six wins from 12 games, he is expected to be in line to replace former Hurricanes and Highlanders flanker Ben Herring as head coach.
Japanese club bosses — given the millions they pour into their teams each year — are demanding of their coaches to deliver results.
Alongside Hansen, Foster will link with All Blacks centurion Aaron Smith at Toyota. Beauden Barrett is playing there this season but will return home in June after signing a contract with NZ Rugby through to the next World Cup.
Former Blues lock/loose forward Tom Robinson, former Highlanders lock Josh Dickson and World Cupwinning Springboks Pieter-Steph du Toit and Willie le Roux are also on Toyota’s books.
Foster will join a plethora of Kiwi coaches, including Dave Rennie, Robbie Deans and Todd Blackadder, in the highly lucrative Japanese League One.
Foster’s All Blacks coaching team have now largely assumed new positions. Joe Schmidt — and former All Blacks forwards coach Mike Cron — will lead the Wallabies.
Scrum coach Greg Feek has joined the Blues, leaving Scott McLeod as the final member yet to officially move on, with Jason Ryan remaining as All Blacks forwards coach.