‘Great bunch’: All Blacks want to show Hawke’s Bay they care

Nothing captures hearts and minds quite like winning.

It’s nice that the All Blacks are in Hawke’s Bay. It’s a gesture that appears greatly appreciated by locals trying to move on from the
difficulties of Cyclone Gabrielle.

But the warmth of the Hawke’s Bay welcome the All Blacks have received is certainly enhanced by success on the paddock.

This time last year, New Zealand Rugby (NZR) chief executive Mark Robinson was fielding a lot of questions about All Blacks coach Ian Foster.

Does NZR back Foster? Is he about to be sacked? Should Scott Robertson replace him immediately?

They’ve effectively been put to bed by the team’s unbeaten run through the Rugby Championship, with 2022’s pessimism replaced by a genuine feeling the All Blacks can now go on and win the Rugby World Cup, which starts in France next month.

“We said at the time that we were really backing this team through and we believe in them, and we’ll continue to do that,” Robinson told Hawke’s Bay Today.

Napier residents, in particular, will have found it hard to miss the All Blacks this week, as players search the CBD for coffee or wander from their hotel to Ocean Spa.

Visits of this sort can be rare in Hawke’s Bay, and in the past, that’s led to criticism the team is remote, untouchable and maybe not representative of the rest of us.

Robinson was once an All Black himself, and says this squad is as relatable as any he’s seen.

“They’re a great bunch of young men. They’re deeply passionate about the jersey, but they care about all levels of the game,” said Robinson.

“They’ve all come through very, very similar pathways, in terms of their junior clubs, their secondary schools and their clubs before they made it into the team through their provincial and Super [Rugby Pacific] networks.

“At every point in that pathway, there are different touch points they’ve had with many, many New Zealanders, and they don’t forget that. It means a lot to them, so for them to be able to give back at various stages is very important to them.

“They see the passion that people have got for the team. They see it when the team’s going well, and when we’ve got challenges, they know that the fans care and they want to be able to reciprocate the support that they get, and this is a great way to do it.”

Fittingly, this trip to Hawke’s Bay hasn’t just been about photo opportunities.

Robinson says the team was eager to make Monday’s World Cup announcement a public one. They wanted to provide tangible support to the community – hence Tuesday’s working bee at Tangoio Marae – and they wanted fans to see them “go about their work” at Wednesday’s open training session at McLean Park.

“This is a great rugby region, with massive history and traditions,” Robinson said.

“We know how passionate people around the district are about the game so – on top of obviously supporting the area in a tough time – it’s also about ensuring real rugby-loving people in the area who care about the game have an opportunity to rub shoulders with the team and the management.”

Hamish Bidwell joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2022 and works out of the Hastings newsroom.