‘Instinctive, confident, accurate’: The Cam Roigard mindset

Cam Roigard had just 40 minutes of experience in the Test arena when he was named in the All Blacks’ 2023 Rugby World Cup squad, but there would be no accusations of a fish out of water among New Zealand’s No.9 stocks.

Instead, Roigard’s performances at the tournament would verify the then-22-year-old’s immense potential and challenge Finlay Christie’s role as the Robin to Aaron Smith’s Batman. Sure enough, the following Test season saw the beginning of a new era in the black No.9 jersey; Roigard left France having proven himself Smith’s successor, bringing a new X-factor to a jersey Smith had made his own over 12 seasons and 125 Tests.

Roigard’s running game is his point of difference, and he’s known that since he was a youngster coming through the ranks in Waikato, although not everyone was so sure of his potential.

Once told he was too small and had reached his ceiling whilst still in the age grades, Roigard left those voices behind with a move to Counties Manukau, where his ascension in the professional game took shape.

That self-confidence was evidently well-founded and remains a core principle as he looks to further his standing in the global game in the 2026 Test season, which he kicked off with a two-try showing in a narrow win over France.

“I feel like, as an athlete, even when you’re an aspiring athlete, and you’ve got goals to chase, you do have to have an ego to some degree,” Roigard told RugbyPass when prompted on his relationship with confidence.

“You can be humble, but you need confidence; you need to be able to believe in yourself, because otherwise, what’s going to motivate you to get there? If someone gives some negative feedback or tells you you’re not good enough, you’re not just going to give up because one person said it — well, you might if you’ve got no confidence. 

“I feel like that was my whole journey when I was younger. I moved to Counties because I was told by particular talent ID people, and people who have quite a big influence on young people’s careers, that they felt I wouldn’t get any better. 

“If I didn’t have an ego, in a sense, or didn’t believe in myself, I might have listened to that. But I thought, no, I’m going to go somewhere else where I can prove myself, prove to others that I am good enough, and I feel like without that self-belief and confidence — you can call it ego if you want — but I always thought I was going to be good enough to play Super Rugby.”

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“I guess with where the game is now, there’s obviously a lot of structure, and it can be, I guess, easier in a sense just to be halfback that’s just passing the ball and close off your vision a little bit, and just do your core role. So you can fall into the trap of just doing that.

“But as long as you’ve got a vision of how you want to play the game, and you’ve got confidence to be able to back yourself if you do see moments, and have it clear what’s important, what’s front of mind when you’re out there playing, then you shouldn’t miss opportunities, and you should be able to have some impact in the game. That’s probably the main thing for me.

“I feel like whenever I’ve been selected for a team, it’s because I’m good enough. The coaches back me, believe in me as well. So, why would I change the way I play if they’ve picked me for that reason? So that’s sort of been my mindset, especially going from the Hurricanes to the All Blacks. If I see an opportunity, I’m going to take it, because that’s why they picked me; they think I’m good enough. So, why not?”

Confidence was one of three core values Roigard identified when asked for the three words that best describe his mindset. The others? Instinctive and accurate.

It’s a recipe tailor-made for success in the halfback position. But talking the talk is one thing; acting on those principles is what separates aspiration from achievement. In practical terms, the pursuit of success is always far less glamorous than the destination.

Roigard’s appreciation for visualisation reached new heights when he was selected in the All Blacks’ 2023 Rugby World Cup squad. Attending the biggest event on the rugby calendar, the halfback employed the wisdom of All Blacks mental skills coach Gilbert Enoka, whose influence on the team over the 20 years prior has been lauded by consecutive Rugby World Cup-winning head coaches.

“It’s great for preparation on the big stage,” Roigard said of the visualisation techniques he now practices weekly. “When you’ve got limited experience, it hopefully limits the number of mistakes you’re making, because you are able to mentally prepare for what’s in front of you.

“I found that massive when I was first in the All Blacks at the World Cup. I remember pretty clearly Gilbert was talking around how World Cups are different and how they can establish careers. I remember having a couple of one-on-one chats with him just to help prepare myself for that and frame the mindset needed to do my job each week.

“At the Hurricanes, we always do at least one session a week with David Gray. We do some breathing and visualisation work, which has been great for the growth of the boys, including myself. It’s similar to your body when you’re in the gym, trying to get better; strengthen your mind and your mindset as well.”

Roigard’s growth has seen him overcome his early detractors to become one of the rugby world’s leading talents. The investment in his mental conditioning has brought clear-cut improvements not just to his own ability to produce consistent performances, but also to his ability to influence his teammates’ performances.

“The key difference is probably how you respond to mistakes,” he said, comparing his mindset before his first professional game to his current mindset. “Thinking back to school, I’d have massive expectations for myself, and not necessarily get nervous, but if I was to make a mistake or whatever, I’d dwell on it and get quite negative. Obviously that doesn’t have a great impact in your next moment, because you’re still thinking about what’s happened in the past. So, it’s the ability to switch out of that.

“I feel like now I’m at a stage where I can see when other players might be thinking about a mistake or something;  I can still see them thinking about it, and they’re not focused on the job. Having little cues or tools to be able to get out of that; telling someone to breathe, or whatever it may look like to move on from what they’re thinking about, and think about the next job.

“I’ve found it massive for myself, and especially being a game driver, now I interact with, obviously, the forwards and the backs collectively, so being able to read body language has been something that I’ve tried to develop over the past couple of years.”

Consistency is something Roigard places a huge emphasis on, with his performances stemming from a consistent week of training and game prep. Interestingly, he notes that he’s not one to be motivated by emotions, instead trusting his discipline to avoid complacency.

Part of the weekly routine is building his energy levels to be at peak for matchday, which encompasses both his physical and mental prep. Growing up, he had a familiar idol who inspired his mindset.

“When I was younger, obviously, I looked up to Dan Carter, like many. But I admired how, in the big moments, he embraced it, how he loved being in the big moments. That’s something that I noticed, especially when I was getting a little bit older, when he was getting further on in his career. He retired from the All Blacks at the highest level in the biggest moment, getting man of the match, and that just, I guess, reiterates the type of player he was, and how he embraced the big occasions after a lot of adversity as well. 

“So that’s probably someone that I could relate to in the rugby context, especially now, we’ve got big moments coming up. If I’m lucky enough to be selected, there’ll be big moments, big games in South Africa. So, that’s where I want to thrive, and that’s where I want to get my best.”