Wayne Smith is a national asset – Rugby News Update
Wayne Smith, the former New Zealand rugby player and coach has been heavily linked with a coaching position with England recently. While Stuart Lancaster, the England head coach feels that Smith is the man to join his back staff, the New Zealand Rugby Union
feels otherwise.
The Chief Executive Officer of the NWRU, Steve Tew, has said that they will do everything to keep Smith in New Zealand, who currently has a contract with the Chiefs. Speaking about his desperation to keep the former player in New Zealand, Tew said, "We consider
him to be an incredible asset to New Zealand rugby..."
Lancaster feels that Smith is an outstanding candidate to take England to the next level. He met Smith in Durban last week and had frank, open discussions regarding the role he would be expected to perform for England, adding that they share the same vision
for rugby, plus mutual respect.
Smith is held in high regards by all who have either played with him or have had interactions with him as a coach. This was well articulated by the CEO NZRU who said, "He is one of our intellectual properties. He has been with us for so long and been such
an important contributor to developing things that work in our environment that we think he is a special case to protect.”
Richard Kahui, a World Cup winner has given his backing to Smith, who has astutely taken the Chiefs to the top of the table in the New Zealand Conference. Speaking about the former coach he said, "He is a great man who knows how to get the best out of people.
If he were to go to England, it would not only be a great loss to the Chiefs and the game in New Zealand, it would be a worrying sign."
This is exactly why Lancaster is desperate to have Smith on his team, as he wants to prepare an England team that can win the rugby World Cup in 2015, and in Wayne Smith he has just the person who can give that little extra to the English team.
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