E146 | Sir Wayne Smith

Episode summary | Sir Wayne Smith

Sir Wayne Smith is one of the most respected and accomplished figures in New Zealand Rugby history. Quite simply, an absolute legend of the game.

He was a 17-cap All Black who went on to win three World Cups – two as All Blacks assistant coach and one with the Black Ferns – and is now Performance Coach for both those teams.

Prior to that he helped establish the Crusaders dynasty in Super Rugby with their first two titles who was then elevated to All Blacks coach before seeking re-employment and failing to achieve so. He returned to New Zealand rugby as part of Sir Graham Henry’s staff for the 2007 and 2011 RWC campaigns. He added two more Super Rugy titles with the Chiefs, before adding another two titles as the only person to have won a men’s and women’s World Cup.

There’s a reason Wayne is known as The Professor, he is one of world rugby’s greatest thinkers, and this was a fascinating insight into how his brain works. It’s easy to see why his players are all so connected to him as a person and a coach.

Show notes | Sir Wayne Smith

0:00 How does Wayne Smith watch the Rugby World Cup?

6:53 Working with David Galbraith

11:36 “An insane passion for rugby”

20:55 Sharing ideas and being curious

32:04 Josh Smith: Living with cerebral palsy

37:59 Optimism, gratitude, and resilience

46:09 Learning from failure

58:09 The 2007 Rugby World Cup

1:03:12 Richie McCaw, Steven Donald and the 2011 campaign

1:09:19 Support systems around an All Blacks coach

1:12:48 Linking up with the Black Ferns

1:26:38 Behind the scenes of the fairytale 2022 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand

1:35:29 What is a Performance Coach?

1:40:00 Last words from Steve, Seamus, and Wayne