Northern Edition
Select Edition
Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

New Zealand's World Cup-winning coach receives knighthood

New Zealand coach Wayne Smith looks on following the Rugby World Cup 2021 Final match between New Zealand and England at Eden Park on November 12, 2022 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins - World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images)

Women’s World Cup-winning coach Wayne Smith has received a knighthood for services to rugby in New Zealand’s annual King’s Birthday honours.

ADVERTISEMENT

The 66-year-old Smith played 17 times for the All Blacks, was head coach and an assistant coach of the men’s team, and was recently appointed as a coaching supervisor for both of New Zealand’s senior national teams.

Smith took over as coach of the New Zealand women’s team just before last year’s home World Cup, following a series of defeats on a tour to Europe.

Video Spacer
Video Spacer

The team was not expected to win the tournament but became champions after ending England’s world-record winning streak in the final.

“(The World Cup) was a hell of an adventure,” Smith told the New Zealand Herald on Monday.

“I had no idea when I entered it how fulfilling it would be – not just the rugby but the way the women were, the connection with community, the goodness in them and joy they had for playing.

“Those are things I’ll never forget.”

ADVERTISEMENT
LIVE

Rugby Premier League - Matches 1 - 3

Top 10 inspiring Lions speeches

United States of Rugby | Episode 1 – Welcome to Dawgtown

Top 10 Best Lions Tries of the 2000s

Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo vs Kubota Spears | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 Final | Full Match Replay

Saitama Wild Knights vs Kobe Steelers | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 Bronze Final | Full Match Replay

Boks Office | Episode 42 | Investec Champions Cup Final Review

Spain's Incredible Rugby Sevens Journey to the World Championship Final | HSBC SVNS Embedded | Episode 14

The Game that Made Jonah Lomu

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

1 Comment
G
GL 741 days ago

So well deserved!! Arise Sir Wayne

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

R
RedWarriors 39 minutes ago
'Not a normal rugby team' - The Leinster flex that floored Jake White

I was actually at the match. Leinster were the outstanding team in the league stage. Leinster’s squad depth meant the Bulls could only nick a late win in Pretoria against an understrenght Leinster. Simple put, Leinster are significantly better this year compared to last. The Dublin match last year was a big win by Leinster. Yes they won by a point in the RDS three years ago but thats not relevant to yesterday.

As Leinster are such a dangerous team, it forces an opponent to focus on a strategy to undermine them and that way get their game on the pitch. Leinster allowed that against Northampton. But that was not going to happen again. The Bulls attack in last 10 minutes of the first half was as savage as anything in the URC this year. Yet Leinsters coaching plan repelled them allied to savage commitment from the players. The defense was outstanding, pressure at breakdown outstanding. Leinster did not win the European cup but arguably at their best this year no other European team could reach that height. They reached that yesterday. Leinster completely removed Bulls ability to hurt them.

And Croke Park….100 years ago the Brits fired machine guns into spectators injuring 100s and killing loads. No Irish team ever performs badly there. Same with Irish supporters. Opposition players might as well be Brit Tommies with machine guns.

I think a great Leinster team, played a great game plan, to the height of their power in a horrible stadium for opponents. If Bulls score before half time they were back in the match. They went down, but they went down fighting.

12 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ Johann van Graan: The Bulls boy who would be England's king Johann van Graan: The Bulls boy who would be England's king
Search