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‘Changed our lives’: Sir Wayne Smith’s ‘rocky road’ to leadership greatness
Legendary coach Sir Wayne Smith has helped both the All Blacks and Black Ferns win Rugby World Cup titles on home soil, but the journey to get to those points was “a pretty rocky road.”
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Smith, 66, was celebrated at New Zealand’s prestigious Halberg Awards on Wednesday night as he received the Leadership Award for his work with the New Zealand national rugby teams.
But before all the glory and fame, in Smith’s own words, he was “sacked” by the All Blacks in 2001. After failing to win the Bledisloe Cup, the All Blacks decided to go in another direction.
John Mitchell replaced Smith as the All Blacks’ head coach. That decision led Smith to question his credentials by describing himself as both a “fraud” and “imposter.”
But as Smith discussed during an impressive speech at the awards show this week, that was a key moment in his leadership journey which went on to inspire greatness.
“I’m really proud to get this award but it’s also a bit confronting,” Smith said on stage.
“Leadership for me has been a pretty rocky road, I definitely wasn’t born with it. I don’t think anyone is but it’s something that you learn.
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“When I lost the All Blacks job in 2001, we’ll let’s face it, I got sacked, I saw myself as a bit of a fraud, an imposter.
“People under my leadership weren’t really flourishing and I wasn’t quite sure what to do about it.
“My wife Trish, she showed more leadership than me, by encouraging me to keep going and to look around the world for another opportunity. She helped me get better and better and I needed to change.”
Smith left New Zealand’s shores after taking up a deal with the Northampton Saints in England. But after a few years away, the Kiwi returned home to Aotearoa.
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New All Blacks coach Graham Henry, who replaced Mitchell after the 2003 Rugby World Cup, appointed Smith as one of the team’s assistant coaches in 2004.
Smith stayed on with the national team through to their drought-breaking Rugby World Cup final victory at Eden Park in 2011 and was also part of the team that went back-to-back four years later in England.
“We started a leadership program with the players. It was essentially building leaders who build leadership who build leaders,” Smith added.
“And for it we coaches became learners. We were learning from younger men, people like Richie McCaw, Daniel Carter, Ma’a Nonu, Conrad Smith and Kieran Read.
“it changed our lives and it changed the way the All Blacks operated.”
But another one of Smith’s crowning achievements came more recently in 2022. Smith took over the coaching reigns with the Black Ferns of April that year and went on to lead them to a once unlikely World Cup title of their own.
Smith had helped the All Blacks win a World Cup final at Eden Park and did the same for the pioneers of the women’s game. Truly a New Zealand rugby great.
Comments on RugbyPass
Yes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
2 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
2 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
2 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
38 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
2 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
2 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
5 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
34 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
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