Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
NZ NZ

Latest World XV high-profile recruit is an ex-All Blacks assistant

By Liam Heagney
(Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Brad Mooar has become the latest high-profile name to become involved in next month’s bumper Killik Cup match at Twickenham, the former All Blacks assistant joining Steve Hansen’s World XV coaching group for the London showdown versus the Barbarians-coached Eddie Jones.

ADVERTISEMENT

Mooar was part of the Scotland set-up during the recent Six Nations championship and boasts previous international experience having served as attack coach for New Zealand from 2020 to 2022.

He also enjoyed a stint in Wales in charge of Scarlets from 2019 to 2020, and previously was involved within the Crusaders set-up, working as the attack coach under Scott Robertson and helping the side to three Super Rugby titles.

Video Spacer

Inside the Barbarians sheds at halftime | Being Barbarians

Video Spacer

Inside the Barbarians sheds at halftime | Being Barbarians

A string of rugby’s most exciting players – including Semi Radradra, Marika Koroibete and Ngani Laumape and Charles Piutau – have all been approached to play for the World XV on May 28, and Mooar can’t wait to link up with both the squad and old mentor Hansen.

Mooar said: “I’m super pumped to be part of the World XV coaching set up with Steve Hansen – it’s massively exciting. To be coaching some of the world’s best players, bringing them together, and being part of a special week of bonding and learning off each other is going to be a huge privilege.

Related

“It’s also a great opportunity for me to learn more about the game, and how different players see the game. I’m really grateful for the opportunity that I have been given to be part of it. The challenge of coaching against the Barbarians is a great one.

“I love the Barbarians concept and all the team’s history. I love the connection with the Phil Bennett sidestep, and that great try from Gareth Edwards back in the day is iconic.

ADVERTISEMENT

“I know that Eddie will have them well prepared and they will have some tricks up their sleeve. I’m looking forward to the challenge of preparing for a game at the highest level, whilst also not knowing exactly what is going to come. We will be looking to put our own stamp on the game as well.

“It will be great to be working alongside Steve again. Our relationship goes back to the mid-90s when he was my coach, and that relationship has grown ever since. He has been a huge support to me and my career, so the chance to work alongside him in a campaign like this is hugely exciting.

“Our conversations have already been really fruitful about how to put this team together, the type of game we want to play, and the opportunity that we’ll have with these guys in the week leading up to the game and then in the game itself. I can’t wait to get alongside Steve and get amongst it.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Join free

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | Episode 6

Sam Warburton | The Big Jim Show | Full Episode

Japan Rugby League One | Sungoliath v Eagles | Full Match Replay

Japan Rugby League One | Spears v Wild Knights | Full Match Replay

Boks Office | Episode 10 | Six Nations Final Round Review

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | How can New Zealand rugby beat this Ireland team

Beyond 80 | Episode 5

Rugby Europe Men's Championship Final | Georgia v Portugal | Full Match Replay

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

J
Jon 9 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

35 Go to comments
FEATURE
FEATURE Luke Cowan-Dickie: 'I didn’t feel right. I felt like I was going to pass out. Everything was going black in front of me' Luke Cowan-Dickie: 'I didn’t feel right. I felt like I was going to pass out. Everything was going black in front of me'
Search