Opinion
International Rugby
The All Blacks captain shouldn't need a rest after a sabbatical
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Contributors
Hamish Bidwell
@HamishBidwell
Hamish has been an opinion and sports writer for over 20 years in New Zealand, featuring on RNZ, New Zealand Herald, Stuff.co.nz, and RugbyPass.
298 Articles
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Selections aside, Dave Rennie is pushing the right buttons with All Blacks
Everyone wants winners and losers out of any team naming. Frankly, when the net’s cast this wide, those kinds of categories are …
Hamish Bidwell
23 Jun 2026, 22:49
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There are only so many former glories that All Blacks selectors can cling to
I think we’d all agree that Beauden Barrett will be in the first All Blacks test squad of the season. Just as, we’d also have…
Hamish Bidwell
17 Jun 2026, 20:39
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Tana Umaga's 'shine' concession shows NZR aware of new reality
I now have some confidence in New Zealand Rugby being able to consistently make good decisions, and I also have a strong belief th…
Hamish Bidwell
03 Jun 2026, 19:21
1
Opinion
We're finally going to see what Scott Hansen's really capable of
Rob Penney needed to go as Crusaders head coach. It was right that the franchise stood by Penney after a poor start to his tenure,…
Hamish Bidwell
27 May 2026, 19:13
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Opinion
It's premature to anoint Ruben Love as the All Blacks No.10 without winning anything
One of the consequences of Super Rugby’s evolution into a one-game comp, is that it’s premature to properly evaluate Hurricane…
Hamish Bidwell
20 May 2026, 16:31
48
Opinion
Graham Henry's return to the All Blacks brings confidence
New Zealand Rugby and All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie are doing things that make sense and engender confidence.
Hamish Bidwell
12 May 2026, 15:05
7
Opinion
New Zealand isn’t in a position to bid goodbye to players easily
Rugby in this country becomes significantly weaker when we lose seasoned Super Rugby players or All Blacks of recent vintage.
Hamish Bidwell
07 May 2026, 2:21
27
Opinion
The elephant in the room with the Super Rugby model
Super Rugby can work, provided everyone’s happy to take a significant haircut. We pay athletes too much money. Not just here, bu…
Hamish Bidwell
28 Apr 2026, 18:30
26
Opinion
About this latest chapter in the transformation of the All Blacks
Gilbert Enoka gets the All Blacks. Heck, he's as much a part of the culture of that team as some of the great men who've worn the …
Hamish Bidwell
21 Apr 2026, 16:29
15
Opinion
Ardie Savea doesn't need to return to Super Rugby in 2027
As long as Ardie Savea spends a few months playing in New Zealand next year, I don't really care where it is.
Hamish Bidwell
17 Apr 2026, 17:56
32
Opinion
What logic is there to bringing back Brodie Retallick
Brodie Retallick would be one of the better All Blacks I’ve seen. Rugged and skillful, he was everything you could possibly wan…
Hamish Bidwell
08 Apr 2026, 19:04
21
Opinion
The All Blacks need Rennie, but they also need the public
And exactly what we need in order for rugby and the All Blacks to be viewed with the kind of affection that’s currently reserved…
Hamish Bidwell
31 Mar 2026, 14:39
49
Opinion
The adults are now in charge of the All Blacks
Sure, it was probably inevitable that Neil Barnes would join Dave Rennie’s All Blacks coaching group, but it’s welcome news no…
Hamish Bidwell
24 Mar 2026, 15:18
18
Opinion
Dave Rennie can't make the same mistake as Razor with the All Blacks
In a rugby sense, Rennie will have his hands full. His entire repertoire of people skills are going to be required to cajole the p…
Hamish Bidwell
23 Mar 2026, 14:30
18
Opinion
It’s nice to hear Justin Marshall say the quiet part out loud
We can’t know for sure if Robertson really did hear that he was out as All Blacks coach at the same time as the rest of us. That…
Hamish Bidwell
25 Feb 2026, 16:33
61
Opinion
What is 'New Zealand rugby' nowadays?
The All Blacks are losing to teams at their own game, rather than playing the New Zealand one Wilson and the rest of us remember s…
Hamish Bidwell
19 Feb 2026, 14:56
22
Opinion
No CEO, no head coach, but the All Blacks can fire pot shots at Australia
No All Blacks coach, no chief executive, no chief financial officer, no chief commercial officer, no head of high performance, no …
Hamish Bidwell
04 Feb 2026, 15:02
19
Opinion
The constant in the All Blacks’ struggles is not the coaches
I’m not too bothered about who New Zealand Rugby appoints as the next national coach, nor the criteria that’s been set. I mean…
Hamish Bidwell
30 Jan 2026, 15:17
270
Opinion
It'll take a brave individual to coach these All Blacks
To borrow a line from Mr T, “I pity the fool’’ who’s going to try and coach the All Blacks. The team was once run as a dic…
Hamish Bidwell
23 Jan 2026, 18:07
110
Opinion
Jason Holland's All Blacks exit remains a head-scratcher
It’s not like the All Blacks don’t sack coaches. We only have to look back to assistants John Plumtree and Brad Mooar getting …
Hamish Bidwell
09 Jan 2026, 17:24
76
