David Moffett: Former New Zealand Rugby CEO on the sacking of Scott Robertson as All Blacks coach

Questions continue to swirl over Scott Robertson’s departure as All Blacks coach. 

He's left halfway through his four-year deal after player frustration simmered and boiled over in a scathing internal review late last year. 

NZ Rugby Chair David Kirk denies a player revolt forced Robertson out. 

But former Chief Executive David Moffett told Andrew Dickens the organisation's a bit of a mess. 

He says you're going to get bigger problems if players get to determine who their boss is. 

Moffett says told Dickens he’s given up trying to understand the organisation’s strategy or purpose. 

He says they currently don't have a chief executive, a coach, and are missing some senior leaders. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks. It'd be
follow this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.

Speaker 2 (00:16):
So Scott robertson Airs, gone just two years into his
four year contract, comes after an internal review last year
which was believed to have exposed issues with the Allbacks
coaching culture and environment. We learned about that review yesterday.
By the end of the day he's gone. We've got
no news on who might be taking his place, but
the recruitment process apparently is underway. And former New Zealand

(00:37):
Rugby CEO David Moffatt is with us. Now, good morning to.

Speaker 3 (00:40):
You, David. Goodoy Andrew, how are you doing good?

Speaker 2 (00:43):
That was a dramatic day, wasn't it.

Speaker 3 (00:45):
I guess it's a normal day in New Zealand Rugby,
isn't it. When you have a look at the recent past.
I've sort of given up trying to understand what their
strategies are, you know, what their purpose is, and it's
not really much point in actually trying to understand what's

(01:05):
happened has happened, so they have to move on. They
currently don't have a chief executive, they don't have a coach.
I don't think they've got some other senior people working
in there, they haven't filled those positions. I think the
place is in a bit of a mess.

Speaker 2 (01:21):
But David Kirk is the chair and that that's a
relief because his performance yesterday I thought was fantastic. He
answered questions with a straight bet he was directed as
a pity he can't be the CEO. So do you
have trust in David to find the answers to the
lack of a CEO and coach?

Speaker 3 (01:38):
Well, yes I do. I think it's taken too long,
but I know David well, he's a really good guy
and hopefully he finds the right people to put in place.
And that's and that's really what the focus should be
on now. If the past is the past and what

(01:58):
is going to happen in the future. And I've got
some simple views. If I was a CEO, I know
what I would be doing. First. I would be getting
the winning coach in recent history by a Kiwi still
has the most win wins in a win loss record

(02:21):
with the Australian Rugby Union in the professional era. I
wouldn't hesitate in going getting Robbie Deans to take us
to the World Cup.

Speaker 2 (02:28):
Well, There's some people who say the problem that we
now faces that we might go back to the well
of former coaches because other names Dave Rennie, Joe Schmidt,
of course, Jamie Joseph, Tony Brown. Now you've gone and
put Robbie into the mix as well. Is that really
the future?

Speaker 3 (02:43):
What do you want in a coach? One thing, Somebody
who wins, Somebody who can understand how to win. That's
all that matters, you know. So I can't think of
a coach out there who's got a better win loss
record than Robbie Dean's. He most likely, you know, wouldn't
want it. But you know, I know him well. I

(03:03):
know what he's done up in Japan, what he did
with the Wallabies, the Crusaders. I mean, that's who I'd
go for.

Speaker 2 (03:12):
And what about the players? Of course there was seemingly
a player's revolt. The dressing room was was lost. Are
the players right to be doing this or are they
being precious?

Speaker 3 (03:22):
I'm not going to go into the issue of player power,
you know, I think when you get the players determining
who's going to be their boss, then you've got potential problems.
But I don't I don't want to look you know that.
I mean, you know, I never criticized out offering solutions
and I've got a solution for the CEO position as well.

(03:43):
There's a guy that worked for me, guy called Cameron Harland,
who who was great when he was working for me.
He then went on to work with Sachi and Sachi
he worked for Wetter and now he is he heads
up New Zealand on air. There that guy has got
all the skills that you need in the chief executive officer.

(04:06):
And you know, I think somebody like him very considered
a lot of experience in the right areas, especially in
rugby administration. That's who I'd go for. And but you know,
because I've made these recommendations, nobody will listen, which is
the normal thing.

Speaker 2 (04:26):
David Moffatt, I thank you so much for your time today.
David is the former New Zealand rugby CEO.

Speaker 1 (04:32):
For more from News Talks ed B listen live on
air or online, and keep our shows with you wherever
you go with our podcast on iHeartRadio.