The All Blacks' World Cup dreams are hanging by a thread after a seismic coaching shake-up, and now, key players are breaking their silence on the controversial sacking of Scott Robertson, a move that has sent shockwaves through New Zealand Rugby.
It's been a whirlwind few weeks for the All Blacks camp, with the team's head coach, Scott Robertson, being unexpectedly let go just under two years before the next Rugby World Cup. New Zealand Rugby (NZR) made the decision to pivot, with the organization's chair citing concerns about the team's current "trajectory" under the 51-year-old, who was midway through a four-year contract.
But here's where it gets controversial... Whispers have been circulating that the players themselves played a significant role in Robertson's departure, following a rather harsh review of his tenure.
As the 2026 Super Rugby season looms, with its kickoff scheduled for mid-February, more voices are starting to emerge from the rugby fraternity. This week, a trio of Hurricanes players – Jordie Barrett, Ruben Love, and Cam Roigard – found themselves in the media spotlight. Notably, Cam Roigard has just inked a new deal with NZR, keeping him with the team until 2029.
While Jordie Barrett was understandably reserved, choosing not to elaborate too much, Ruben Love, who was actually handed his Test debut by Robertson, spoke highly of the former All Blacks coach's character. "It’s been huge, everywhere, but at the end of the day I have a lot of respect for Razor," Love shared with reporters. "One thing I admire about him is his ability to bring a team together through culture, and I think we should have some of the morals in terms of him being family orientated. Every time you speak to him about his family, his eyes light up and everything, so I wish him all the best. That’s just how the job goes. It’s the hardest job in New Zealand. I thought he was great. I am a player, I get paid to score tries or save tries."
And this is the part most people miss... The very culture within the All Blacks setup was reportedly flagged as an area of concern in the player reviews under Robertson. Love, however, steered clear of delving into that specific point, admitting he was taken aback by the news of the sacking. "Yeah, initially it was," he said. "You can never expect anything like that. Like I said, I am a player, I am not part of that coaching set-up. Yeah, I just have a lot of respect for him. I hope whatever he does next he will be sweet because he is an intelligent man."
Roigard’s perspective echoed Love's sentiments. He also extended his best wishes to the former Crusaders coach. "Yes, I guess the nature of it, you know, thinking about him as a person. You could tell right from when I first met him and he has been involved, that he cared about the team massively and I guess for it to sort of end out that way," Roigard reflected. "You know you feel for him as a person, making sure that he’s alright as a person. I don’t really want to get into the details and comment too much, but firstly I hope that he’s okay, and I am sure whatever he gets up to next I am sure he will be successful. But the nature of him as a person, he’s a great guy and I got on with him really well. It’s just I guess a part of sport."
What are your thoughts on this sudden coaching change? Do you believe player input should carry such significant weight in these decisions? Share your agreement or disagreement in the comments below!
