Former Black Ferns Director of Rugby Wayne Smith set the highest of standards of coaching in New Zealand in 2022 by taking out the Halberg Award for New Zealand Sports coach of the year.
With that in mind, Super Rugby Aupiki is not just an opportunity for new players to make a case for higher honours, but coaches have the chance to improve their craft and inspire the next generation.
Blues
Willie Walker had a long first-class career in New Zealand, playing 91 games and scoring 468 points. His pinnacle achievement was representing the Māori All Blacks before he headed to England and played for Gloucester and Worcester. The firefighter returns for his second season at the helm of the Blues, joined by Linda Itunu and Carlos Spencer.
Itunu was the three-time World Cup winner with the Black Ferns, who played 38 tests between 2003 and 2018. In December 2020, she was named on the blindside in the World Rugby Women’s 15’s Team of the Decade (2010-19).
Carlos Spencer needs little introduction to New Zealand rugby fans. The 33-test All Black won three Super Rugby titles with the Blues and, after retiring, has been involved in coaching the Lions in South Africa and the Hurricanes.
Chiefs Manawa
Husband and wife duo Crystal and Brent Kaua spearhead the defending champion’s campaign. The pair first wrote headlines as the Hamilton Girls’ High School First XV coach, winning National titles in 2013 and 2014. For four seasons, they were then based in Japan with Mie Pearls winning a national championship. Crystal is a former Auckland and Waikato loo forward and together with Brent coached Bay of Plenty in the Farah Palmer Cup last year.
Former Fiji captain Greg Smith (44 tests) will assist the forwards. The former Waikato hooker has long been associated with Hamilton Old Boys and most recently bolstered the pioneering coaching set up for Fijiana at the Rugby World Cup 2021.
Darryl Suasua is perhaps the longest-serving women’s rugby coach in New Zealand. A World Cup winner with the Black Ferns in 1998 and 2002 he started the New Zealand Sevens team, Counties, and has been at the forefront of the dominant Marist women’s team in Auckland for three decades.
Hurricanes Poua
Victoria Grant (nee Blackledge) was a Rugby World Cup-winning Black Fern in 2006 and 2010 capped 17 times. She switched seamlessly between fullback and wing, often capable of producing pyrotechnics. In 40 games for Auckland alone she scored 41 tries. In 2008 she was the New Zealand women’s player of the year and later captained her country.
Born in Papakura and raised in Putāruru, Grant has strong connections to the Hurricanes region. She has lived in Taihape, Whanganui, and Wellington and coached in the region's secondary school, sevens, and senior men’s spaces. This is her second season with the Poua, having served as an assistant to Wes Clarke in 2022.
Grant will be joined by Fusi Feaunati and Travis Church. Feaunati has coached Manawatū Cyclones since 2017 with the 2021 team particularly classy, winning the Championship undefeated. He specialises in back play.
Church is a former New Zealand Under 19 prop who has long been associated with Te Awamutu Sports as Director of Rugby and senior head coach. He’s also been involved with countless Waikato age group sides.
Matatū
For three seasons, Blair Baxter has been the brains behind the all-conquering Canterbury Farah Palmer Cup team. He has won three Premierships in 2019, 2020, and 2022. He also guided Canterbury Under 19’s to the last Jock Hobbs Memorial National Tournament title in 2019. A Canterbury Rugby Football Union community coach since 2018, he was previously involved in Sydenham Rugby Club.
Whitney Hansen played 14 games for Canterbury as a prop, hooker, and loose forward between 2011 and 2014. She also played 111 games and won five senior championships as a player with University Rugby Club. The former schoolteacher was part of the Black Ferns Development XV coaching staff in 2019 and was as an assistant coach during the Black Ferns World Cup triumph. She is the daughter of former All Blacks World Cup-winning coach Sir Steve Hansen.
Tony Christie has assisted the men’s and women’s Canterbury teams and has long been associated with Canterbury age-group rugby. Dan Cron, son of former All Blacks scrum guru Mike Cron, helped the Hurricanes win their only Super Rugby title in 2016. He will assist with the Matatū forwards.