Whitney Hansen, daughter of former All Blacks coach Sir Steve Hansen, was named as the new Black Ferns head coach.
In her first year she will oversee 11 tests and a historic British & Irish Lions Series in 2027.
"She knows what she wants to do and when she wants to do it and, you know, I think it's important that your kids make their own decisions about where they want to go and what they want to do," Sir Steve Hansen told D'Arcy Waldegrave.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Waldegrave
from News Talk SEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Good Big Black Fern at News Today have a point
of their new head coach, I mean Alan Bunting stepped
down from the role disappointing World Cup campaign. I think
we can all agree Whitney Hanson will be taking over
the roll next year. She becomes the thirteenth Black Fern's
head coach and joins after Rolls with a Matter two.
She was assistant coach and the Black Ferns won the
(00:33):
World Cup on home soil in twenty twenty two, being
working with the secondary team as well. The list goes on.
So we managed to get out of her Dad have
a chat about it, Sir Steven Hanson, very successful All
Black coach he is, indeed he joins us.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Now A good a Steve.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
It's well deserved. Ay, I won't say over due, because
she's been the very patient with her career.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (00:56):
Look, we're all very proud of her and as we
are of all of our children.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
But now she's worked.
Speaker 4 (01:01):
Really hard and she's been pretty deliberate about when she's
wanted to have a crack at the job, and she
thinks she's ready and obviously other people do too, so
it's a wonderful opportunity for her.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
And let's say we're all very very proud of her.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Did you have much to do with the decision? Did
she seek counsel with you, Steve?
Speaker 3 (01:22):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (01:22):
No, she's her own person. She doesn't. She knows what
she wants to do and when she wants to do it.
And you know, I think it's important that your kids
make their own decisions about where they want to go
and what they want to do. So just there to
support when we need to, and that's what we've done.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
Advice if you could give it to around coaching a
national team. She's followed a very similar part to yourself,
hasn't she steps she represented at a domestic level Canterbury,
and then she's worked away right through through the coaching rank,
so not too dissimilar. If you could give her a
bit of advice about what international rugby is, like, what
would you say to it?
Speaker 3 (01:59):
Oh, it's different to normal.
Speaker 4 (02:02):
You know, in competition rugby, there's a lot more pressure,
there's a lot more scrutiny. But you've got to stick
to your own processes and stick to the things that
you know work, but also be flexible and trust the
people that you've got working with you.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
Anyway, well, i'd figure that.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Look, I remember a couple of years back when it
was like, you know, you need to take this role
and she was like, no, I'm not ready, I need
to do more that. I love that patience from somebody
and advancing on it up. She spent what a time
bit of time with the Black Ferns fifteens that really
helped to move up that ladder.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (02:41):
Look, I think any opportunity that you get to coach,
if you're open minded and you're willing to learn, you're
going to develop. So's she's taken a pathway that's got
her to issues now and now she's been given the job.
Now she's got to go and deliver on that and
you know that'll be the big thing that she'll want
(03:02):
to do, and she want to do it really well.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
So I look forward to seeing.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
It massive for her and I love the way and
he's selling. Rugby have really ramped up the women's program.
She's got eleven tests in her first year. Then there's
a British and Iris line series the year after that,
so hit the ground running. There's no soft introduction is there.
Speaker 4 (03:22):
There's not, but you wouldn't want it to be either.
And you know, I think if we're going to have
women's rugby, then we need to support it to the fullest.
And it's its own brand and its own right I
think personally, you know, it's a separate brand of the
All Blacks and that stands alone on its own two feet,
and it's capable of doing that if marketed properly and
(03:45):
played properly. So you know, they've got a big opportunity,
or she has, and the team has to to go
to that next level.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
She's talked about generational players coming through and we've got
like absolute legends of the game still with the Ferns
that played the World Cup last time around, but there
are so many good young players coming through. So from
a coach's point of view about a row in that
position with some of these younger players, that's got to
be quite stimulating.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
Yeah, well that's right. You've just got to create.
Speaker 4 (04:12):
Your job as a coach is to create an environment
that's reasonably complicated and make it simple and.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
Easy for the players to flourishing.
Speaker 4 (04:21):
And there's been one of her coaching philosophies all along,
so I'm sure she'll stick with that.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Well, when did she start getting interested in coaching? Do
you have any idea what she played the game? So
was it? Was it a similar trajectory to itself?
Speaker 4 (04:34):
Look, you probably better ask her all of those questions,
but uh, yeah, she's always had a mind for the game,
and you like me. She spent a lot of time
talking her the dad and and her grandfather and my dad,
and she enjoyed those conversations. So I think it was
(04:54):
just a natural progression that she'd get into coaching. And
the more she's got into it, obviously, the more she's
liked it and enjoyed it, and and she's had.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
Some success, so that success has been rewarded.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Well, just the clock back to temporarily, Steve, you mentioned
the progression of women's rugby. It has been well supported
by inns. Are what improvements have you seen in the timeline?
How do you think the game is strengthened over the
last say, three or four years.
Speaker 4 (05:20):
I think there's a big change in mindset from the fans,
and you know, the hardcore fans have always been there,
but at the World Cup, I think in New Zealand
that was a turning point. You know, a lot of
people got excited by it and inspired by that tournament,
and you know, worldwide the same thing's happening. You know,
(05:41):
there's a messive, big crowds, and it's a game now
that stands in its own right.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
So that's the big changes.
Speaker 4 (05:48):
And whether you like it or don't like it, you know,
you're then forced to support it, aren't you. And and
they're doing that with eleven tests is a great example
of that support and financially and you know, you've got
to have the right amount of money to budget it,
and we've seen England massive amount of money went into
(06:09):
their team and as a result they want a World Cup.
But it's not all about money. It's about having good
development programs, good opportunities for people to have pathways to
grow as coaches, players and so forth. And they were
slowly starting to put those things into place.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
Here.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
It's a very different game, the women's game to the
men's game, and I enjoy the way they go about
their business. They're not trying to replicate the men. They're
trying to do their own thing, which I think should
be celebrated, which leads to the next question. Steve how
important is that that black fans actually have a woman
coaching them?
Speaker 4 (06:44):
Do you think I'm not sure the most important thing
is that there's a woman coaching them. I think the
most important thing is there is a pathway for women
to be good enough to coach them, and if they're
good enough, they and give them the job.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
And I'm a great believer.
Speaker 4 (07:00):
Yeah, it doesn't matter what culture you come from, what
you know, it's just or background you come from. If
you're good enough for a job, then you know you
get the job. And what gender you are doesn't matter either.
But in this case, you know there's been a pathway
for Whitney and and you know the Apprusaders and Canterbury
(07:24):
have supported her through that pathway and using Rugby supported
her and she's now in a position where they think
she's good enough to do the job.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
So I think that's important thing.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
And one last thing is is Steve and I can
hear it sounds like athletes in the background. Are you
directing rugby to it of the blitz right now? You
you're on the time sheep.
Speaker 4 (07:46):
Uh, Well, we're about to start our captains running about
five minutes, so it won't be too much longer. On
this phone. But we usually started with a game of
Fords versus back tennis kicked tennis, so they've just started
that and the Fords are getting a bit excited because
of they're winning, which is a rarity, and the kick game.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
Last question, one minute, that's all you need. How's Mark
Palaia folding into the side. He must be a fantastic
addition to have it up against this Kobe match coming
up this weekend.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (08:19):
I know he's fitting really really well, and he's a
good character of a man, and he's talking well, he's
passing on his knowledge and you know, in his first
game in League one he played very very well.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
So if we can continue to do those things, we'll
be happy.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
Brilliant stuff. Hey, enjoy your Christmas. Let's hope you can
get home for a couple of days. Merry Christmas to you,
and thanks for all of your engagement throughout twenty twenty five.
It has been hugely appreciated.
Speaker 4 (08:47):
Steve, you go well, thanks very much for Merry Christmas. Everyon'
back home. I hope they have a wonderful and well
earn break and everyone find something happy to put a
smile on their face.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
For more from sports talk, Listen live to news talks.
It'd be from seven pm weekdays all Follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Waldegrave
from News Talk SEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Good Big Black Fern at News Today have a point
of their new head coach, I mean Alan Bunting stepped
down from the role disappointing World Cup campaign. I think
we can all agree Whitney Hanson will be taking over
the roll next year. She becomes the thirteenth Black Fern's
head coach and joins after Rolls with a Matter two.
She was assistant coach and the Black Ferns won the
(00:33):
World Cup on home soil in twenty twenty two, being
working with the secondary team as well. The list goes on.
So we managed to get out of her Dad have
a chat about it, Sir Steven Hanson, very successful All
Black coach he is, indeed he joins us.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Now A good a Steve.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
It's well deserved. Ay, I won't say over due, because
she's been the very patient with her career.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (00:56):
Look, we're all very proud of her and as we
are of all of our children.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
But now she's worked.
Speaker 4 (01:01):
Really hard and she's been pretty deliberate about when she's
wanted to have a crack at the job, and she
thinks she's ready and obviously other people do too, so
it's a wonderful opportunity for her.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
And let's say we're all very very proud of her.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Did you have much to do with the decision? Did
she seek counsel with you, Steve?
Speaker 3 (01:22):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (01:22):
No, she's her own person. She doesn't. She knows what
she wants to do and when she wants to do it.
And you know, I think it's important that your kids
make their own decisions about where they want to go
and what they want to do. So just there to
support when we need to, and that's what we've done.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
Advice if you could give it to around coaching a
national team. She's followed a very similar part to yourself,
hasn't she steps she represented at a domestic level Canterbury,
and then she's worked away right through through the coaching rank,
so not too dissimilar. If you could give her a
bit of advice about what international rugby is, like, what
would you say to it?
Speaker 3 (01:59):
Oh, it's different to normal.
Speaker 4 (02:02):
You know, in competition rugby, there's a lot more pressure,
there's a lot more scrutiny. But you've got to stick
to your own processes and stick to the things that
you know work, but also be flexible and trust the
people that you've got working with you.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
Anyway, well, i'd figure that.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Look, I remember a couple of years back when it
was like, you know, you need to take this role
and she was like, no, I'm not ready, I need
to do more that. I love that patience from somebody
and advancing on it up. She spent what a time
bit of time with the Black Ferns fifteens that really
helped to move up that ladder.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (02:41):
Look, I think any opportunity that you get to coach,
if you're open minded and you're willing to learn, you're
going to develop. So's she's taken a pathway that's got
her to issues now and now she's been given the job.
Now she's got to go and deliver on that and
you know that'll be the big thing that she'll want
(03:02):
to do, and she want to do it really well.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
So I look forward to seeing.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
It massive for her and I love the way and
he's selling. Rugby have really ramped up the women's program.
She's got eleven tests in her first year. Then there's
a British and Iris line series the year after that,
so hit the ground running. There's no soft introduction is there.
Speaker 4 (03:22):
There's not, but you wouldn't want it to be either.
And you know, I think if we're going to have
women's rugby, then we need to support it to the fullest.
And it's its own brand and its own right I
think personally, you know, it's a separate brand of the
All Blacks and that stands alone on its own two feet,
and it's capable of doing that if marketed properly and
(03:45):
played properly. So you know, they've got a big opportunity,
or she has, and the team has to to go
to that next level.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
She's talked about generational players coming through and we've got
like absolute legends of the game still with the Ferns
that played the World Cup last time around, but there
are so many good young players coming through. So from
a coach's point of view about a row in that
position with some of these younger players, that's got to
be quite stimulating.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
Yeah, well that's right. You've just got to create.
Speaker 4 (04:12):
Your job as a coach is to create an environment
that's reasonably complicated and make it simple and.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
Easy for the players to flourishing.
Speaker 4 (04:21):
And there's been one of her coaching philosophies all along,
so I'm sure she'll stick with that.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Well, when did she start getting interested in coaching? Do
you have any idea what she played the game? So
was it? Was it a similar trajectory to itself?
Speaker 4 (04:34):
Look, you probably better ask her all of those questions,
but uh, yeah, she's always had a mind for the game,
and you like me. She spent a lot of time
talking her the dad and and her grandfather and my dad,
and she enjoyed those conversations. So I think it was
(04:54):
just a natural progression that she'd get into coaching. And
the more she's got into it, obviously, the more she's
liked it and enjoyed it, and and she's had.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
Some success, so that success has been rewarded.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Well, just the clock back to temporarily, Steve, you mentioned
the progression of women's rugby. It has been well supported
by inns. Are what improvements have you seen in the timeline?
How do you think the game is strengthened over the
last say, three or four years.
Speaker 4 (05:20):
I think there's a big change in mindset from the fans,
and you know, the hardcore fans have always been there,
but at the World Cup, I think in New Zealand
that was a turning point. You know, a lot of
people got excited by it and inspired by that tournament,
and you know, worldwide the same thing's happening. You know,
(05:41):
there's a messive, big crowds, and it's a game now
that stands in its own right.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
So that's the big changes.
Speaker 4 (05:48):
And whether you like it or don't like it, you know,
you're then forced to support it, aren't you. And and
they're doing that with eleven tests is a great example
of that support and financially and you know, you've got
to have the right amount of money to budget it,
and we've seen England massive amount of money went into
(06:09):
their team and as a result they want a World Cup.
But it's not all about money. It's about having good
development programs, good opportunities for people to have pathways to
grow as coaches, players and so forth. And they were
slowly starting to put those things into place.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
Here.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
It's a very different game, the women's game to the
men's game, and I enjoy the way they go about
their business. They're not trying to replicate the men. They're
trying to do their own thing, which I think should
be celebrated, which leads to the next question. Steve how
important is that that black fans actually have a woman
coaching them?
Speaker 4 (06:44):
Do you think I'm not sure the most important thing
is that there's a woman coaching them. I think the
most important thing is there is a pathway for women
to be good enough to coach them, and if they're
good enough, they and give them the job.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
And I'm a great believer.
Speaker 4 (07:00):
Yeah, it doesn't matter what culture you come from, what
you know, it's just or background you come from. If
you're good enough for a job, then you know you
get the job. And what gender you are doesn't matter either.
But in this case, you know there's been a pathway
for Whitney and and you know the Apprusaders and Canterbury
(07:24):
have supported her through that pathway and using Rugby supported
her and she's now in a position where they think
she's good enough to do the job.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
So I think that's important thing.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
And one last thing is is Steve and I can
hear it sounds like athletes in the background. Are you
directing rugby to it of the blitz right now? You
you're on the time sheep.
Speaker 4 (07:46):
Uh, Well, we're about to start our captains running about
five minutes, so it won't be too much longer. On
this phone. But we usually started with a game of
Fords versus back tennis kicked tennis, so they've just started
that and the Fords are getting a bit excited because
of they're winning, which is a rarity, and the kick game.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
Last question, one minute, that's all you need. How's Mark
Palaia folding into the side. He must be a fantastic
addition to have it up against this Kobe match coming
up this weekend.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (08:19):
I know he's fitting really really well, and he's a
good character of a man, and he's talking well, he's
passing on his knowledge and you know, in his first
game in League one he played very very well.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
So if we can continue to do those things, we'll
be happy.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
Brilliant stuff. Hey, enjoy your Christmas. Let's hope you can
get home for a couple of days. Merry Christmas to you,
and thanks for all of your engagement throughout twenty twenty five.
It has been hugely appreciated.
Speaker 4 (08:47):
Steve, you go well, thanks very much for Merry Christmas. Everyon'
back home. I hope they have a wonderful and well
earn break and everyone find something happy to put a
smile on their face.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
For more from sports talk, Listen live to news talks.
It'd be from seven pm weekdays all Follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio
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