Ian Foster: Newly appointed Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit

Surprised, and humbled. That’s the reaction of former All Blacks coach Ian Foster after being made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

Having spent decades working in rugby, including 12 years with the All Blacks, Foster’s contribution to the game has earned him inclusion in the New Year’s Honours list.

But Foster’s contribution to the sport extends far beyond what he did at the highest level.

The 148 matches Foster played for Waikato are still a record for the province and the tally is unlikely to be bettered. Among active players, only Liam Messam, aged 40, gets close at 104 games.

As a coach, Foster’s spells with both Waikato and the Chiefs paved the way for him to step into the All Blacks, where he lifted the World Cup as an assistant to Sir Steve Hansen in 2012.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks. It'd be
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Speaker 2 (00:16):
And as I've said, we started to see the New
Year's Honors rolling in this morning and former coach of
the All Blacks Ian Foster's name was on the list.
He's been a point appointed a companion of the New
Zealand Order of Merit and Ian Foster is with me now, Ian, hello,
wing to Hey, Well, congratulations on the achievement. How do
you feel?

Speaker 3 (00:38):
Look, I think surprised, I guess humbled. It's always for
other people those sort of awards. It's never kind of
for you, is it. So it's but I and upon
a little bit of reflection, incredibly grateful really for the
for the acknowledgment of that's I guess of what I've

(00:58):
done for my involvement in rugby and something that I've
loved and and you don't do it for any acknowledgement.
But it's it's been pretty special.

Speaker 2 (01:07):
I mean, you've been through some It's a rollercoaster ride,
isn't it being the All Blacks coach? You look over
at the All Blacks job? Is it all worth it?

Speaker 3 (01:15):
Of course? It is. It's look, it's an amazing team
and we were a team that represents an amazing country.
Sometimes when you look at the look at the simplicity
of the situation and you're you're you're a national coach
and you plan it for a represented a team that
the country is really passionate about, and long way that continue,

(01:37):
and with that comes the ups and downs of of
different views and different expectations, and you know it's you
just got to You've got to ride through those, but
keep you focus on what you're there for, which is
to do the best thing for the team.

Speaker 2 (01:53):
Watching from a distance, the thing that shone through to
me every time players were talking about you is it
seemed one massive loyalty. They loved you and you've been
very influential in their lives. Do you recognize that?

Speaker 3 (02:12):
I don't think at the time, you know, I think
when yeah, I think the key for me, at whatever
a level I coach, of coaching for me is about
is about caring for the people that you're working with.
I think you get your best out of them if
you if you care for them, if you try to
understand what they're going through so you can you can
tailor Taylor that you expect their expectations to where they're

(02:35):
at as a person. So look, I I love coaching.
I think it's a great chance to influence people. But
to do that, you've got to walk a lot, little
bit of life in their shoes and understand the pressures
that they're going through. And quite frankly, the players, every
week we put them out, we expect massive, messively high

(02:56):
standards and so they should expect that out of us.

Speaker 2 (03:01):
There's an analogy of a young pilot looking up at
the astronauts thinking they've got it made, and the astronaut
looks back at the young pilot and goes, those are
the good days you've been at the peak. What's the
time that you view with the most affection.

Speaker 3 (03:15):
But when it's funny. I went into a reflective mode
when when I found out about this acknowledgment, and I
really was drawn back to the different levels that I've
been at in rugby, because I don't think this is like,
it's not just about the All Blacks. It's about my
school days at forest View, It's about my club days
at Tammody Sports. It's about why Caddo, It's about Chiefs,

(03:38):
it's about the Junior All Blacks and every layer there's
special memories, There's people that have have been a massive
influence and helped me along the pathway. And I do
think that, you know, every level has got its own
highs and lows. I was never a written goal for
me to be the All Blacks. For me, it was

(04:00):
always about just enjoying the moment and enjoying the group
of people that I was with at that time, and
I think that's kind of been the The thing that's
been most special for me has seen the support that
I've had over the years from family, from friends at
those different levels, and they've been what behind me on
this journey.

Speaker 2 (04:19):
Yeah, I have a sense how you might answer my
next question, But what's it like now looking at the
All Blacks from a couple of degrees removed? And do
you think the team led by Razor doing a good job?

Speaker 3 (04:33):
How do you think I'll answer that.

Speaker 2 (04:37):
I guess I had to ask it because of course
you're not going to come into none other coaches you
would expect, you know, in that position. But I guess
how's it looking from outside? But also I mean tell
us how life in Japan is as well?

Speaker 3 (04:51):
Yeah, look, it's tough from the outside, you know. It's
when you're like it's been twelve years with the Orles.
When we finished in twenty three, obviously we walked off
the field in France and didn't get that, didn't get
the job done in the final by a point. But
I know a vast majority of those players, Uh, we're

(05:14):
ready to go for the next four years. And so
I've been watching that group with passion. I've got a
lot of desire for them to be successful. Though they'll
be hurting a little bit from the year that we're
going to make sure that that fuels us going forward.
God in Japan. Great new challenge, new culture, new language,

(05:37):
new food, new new road to drive to work.

Speaker 2 (05:44):
Faster.

Speaker 3 (05:45):
Yeah, well new and foster. But it's it's a it's
a great chance for to try and teach an old
dog a few new tricks. And I want to keep
growing as a coach, and so this is a great
chance for me to do it. But what I've learned
is that really rugby players or rugby players, whether they
speak Kiwi, Aussie or or Japanese. And the beautiful thing

(06:06):
is there's some great people over here and joining tonight
and loving what I'm doing.

Speaker 2 (06:11):
Great. Well, Look, I'm sure we're going to love watching
your progress over there in the news of your successes,
and I know that a lot of your players, all
of the players you've work with, will be thrilled about
this award. And so all the very best for Christmas. Sorry,
not for Christmas, what I'm saying for the New Year
twenty twenty five.

Speaker 3 (06:27):
Yeah, thanks very much, Tim, I appreciate the supporter and
again incredibly grateful for this achievement.

Speaker 2 (06:33):
Excellent. I good to talk to you you too, Thanks
to appreciate that.

Speaker 3 (06:38):
Take care.

Speaker 2 (06:38):
Bye bye.

Speaker 1 (06:39):
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