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Rugby Canada release statement regarding Mark Anscombe's tenure as headcoach

By Ian Cameron
Now former Canada headcoach Mark Anscombe

Former Auckland Blues and Ulster headcoach Mark Anscombe is being relieved of his duties as headcoach of Canada after a ‘disappointing’ spell in charge of the Canucks.

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Rugby Canada’s General Manager of Rugby Operations and Performance, Jim Dixon announced that Rugby Canada will be making a change in the Men’s Fifteens Head Coach position following an ‘extensive review’.

Anscombe had been in the job just 16 months.

The announcement comes after an extensive review of the National Men’s Fifteens Program – which Mark Anscombe has been the Head Coach of since May of 2016 – following a disappointing loss to USA in the 2019 Men’s Rugby World Cup Qualification matches in Hamilton and San Diego. Full details from the program review will be made available later today on the union’s website.

“On behalf of everyone at Rugby Canada, I would like to thank Mark for his commitment to the organization and the program, we wish him every success in the future,” said Dixon.

“It is very apparent to all in the Canadian Rugby community that in order for our Men’s Fifteens Team to be a successful and respected program we must continue to drive a culture of excellence, commitment and discipline. This goes for every level of the game. As a collective community we must address the gaps in our system and strive to provide our young players with the best possible environment to excel in the game, and we have a lot of work to do in this regard. I am 100% confident the National Senior Men’s Fifteens program staff, and most importantly the players, will respond to the challenge in front of them. The program will recommence in September with new resources in place to support them,” added Dixon.

Rugby Canada’s current staff will maintain preparations for the Men’s Fifteens Program, including re-centralization in September at the Canadian Rugby Centre of Excellence in Langford, BC. A Canada “A” side will compete in the Americas Pacific Challenge in Uruguay as part of preparations for their four-game November International series.

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“Rugby Canada will work with World Rugby in conducting a global search for a permanent head coach. Fulfilling this important role is critical for Rugby Canada and we will take the necessary time to find the right candidate,” said Allen Vansen, CEO of Rugby Canada.

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Jon 8 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”?

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j
john 11 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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