All Blacks: NZ Rugby CEO refuses to confirm Ian Foster’s future post-Springbok Tests

A trip to face the Springboks is probably not what Foster ordered after his team suffered a series reversal to Ireland in the recent mid-year internationals.

They take on the world champions over successive weekends at the start of the Rugby Championship and defeats in Mbombela and Johannesburg would pile further pressure on the struggling All Blacks head coach.

Robinson has received plenty of criticism recently, especially for his lack of public appearances since the loss to the Irish.

He released a statement in the immediate aftermath of that series, describing it as “not acceptable”, but has not been seen since.

That was until Robinson appeared on Newstalk ZB to speak about the key topics, but he was decidedly cautious after being asked whether Foster was the right person to take New Zealand into the 2023 World Cup.

“He’s certainly the person to lead the team to South Africa, and we’re making sure they’ve got everything possible in the way of resourcing and support to make sure that’s successful,” he said.

The chief executive did seek to clarify one thing following criticism surrounding New Zealand Rugby’s processes.

“One thing that seems to be coming through in some media is constant referral to reviews… that’s simply not the case,” he said. “But something that is very regular in all our environments is there are constant conversations about how we improve, and that’s a big part of the All Blacks as well.”

Ex-All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen weighed into the debate recently, absolutely slamming the governing body and stating the relationship between players and board was the “worst it’s ever been.”

”Steve’s a good friend, and he’s passionate about the game in New Zealand. I’ve reached out to him, and we’ll have a