Robbie Deans
Encyclopedia
Robert Maxwell Deans is the current coach of the Wallabies
and former All Black. He is the former coach of the Crusaders. He also served as assistant to former All Blacks coach John Mitchell
between late 2001 and 2003. As the coach of the Crusaders, Deans has won more Super rugby titles than any other (three Super 12 titles and two Super 14). He has also coached the Canterbury provincial team in the National Provincial Championship
, winning the title in 1997. As a player, Deans represented Canterbury, first playing at fly half, and later fullback. He also played nineteen matches for the All Blacks, including five Tests.
in Christchurch as a boarder where he played rugby mainly at first five-eighth. He made his provincial debut for Canterbury in 1979 and played mainly at fullback, as the team already had future All Black coach Wayne Smith
playing at first-five. Deans was the first-choice goal-kicker for the team and scored 1,641 points for his province. He was a member of the Canterbury team during the Ranfurly Shield
era of the early 1980s. This included kicking eight of Canterbury's 16 points in its 16–12 Shield challenge win over Wellington
in 1982. The shield reign ended in 1985 against Auckland
in "the match of the century" where Deans also played. This reign is the longest in Canterbury rugby union history. He went on to represent Canterbury 146 times until 1990.
Deans also played for New Zealand's national rugby team, the All Blacks
. His first game for the All Blacks was against Edinburgh on 26 October 1983. Deans played five tests for the All Blacks, scoring 50 points. He played an additional 14 games for the All Blacks scoring 202 points. His All Black career lasted less than two years, playing his last game against a Mar del Plata selection on 29 October 1985. He did however participate in the controversial Cavaliers
tour of South Africa
in 1986. Deans also played for Canterbury Country in the Hawke Cup
.
(NPC) season. He was assisted by Steve Hansen
(current All Blacks forwards coach). Deans' first season was a success, with Canterbury beating Auckland for the first time in 14 years, then going on to win the title. The following year he managed the Canterbury Crusaders (since renamed Crusaders) Super Rugby franchise who were coached by Wayne Smith. The Crusaders won the title, beating the Auckland Blues (since renamed the Blues) in the final at Eden Park
. The Crusaders repeated this feat the following year, with Deans again manager.
In 2000 Deans took over as Crusaders coach after Wayne Smith became All Blacks coach. He coached the Crusaders to their third successive Super 12 title that year, beating the Brumbies
in Canberra
. He continued to coach the Canterbury team in the NPC in 2000 which lead to a Ranfurly Shield win over Waikato; the shield was held until 2003 (totalling 23 challenges). Canterbury's success in the 2000 season saw them host the NPC final at Jade Stadium
against Wellington. A victory would have seen Deans coach teams to Super 12, Ranfurly Shield and NPC titles in the same year; however eventually Wellington won 34–29.
From 2001 Deans concentrated solely on the Crusaders. The 2001 Super 12 season was his least successful in charge – the Crusaders finish tenth. But the following season, the Crusaders went through the entire season undefeated and won their fourth title overall, and their second with Deans as coach. In the following two seasons the Crusaders finished runners-up to the Blues in 2003, and then the Brumbies in 2004. The Crusaders won their third title under Deans in 2005. The Crusaders won their sixth title (the first of the expanded Super 14) in 2006, and their fourth win with Deans in charge, making him the most successful coach in Super Rugby history so far. In 2008, Deans' last season in charge of the Crusaders, he coached them to a seventh super rugby title after they beat the NSW Waratahs at Jade Stadium. In honour of the Deans family, Jade Stadium (now AMI Stadium) erected a new stand called the "Deans Stand". Following the February 22 Aftershock, there remains doubt as to whether AMI Stadium will ever be used again, after some of the ground, including parts of the Deans stand, suffered structural damage. Sadly as a result, the impressive new stand will not be showcased during the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
John Mitchell appointed Deans as his assistant when he became All Blacks coach in late 2001. Deans held the position until Mitchell was replaced after the 2003 Rugby World Cup
. Under Mitchell and Deans, the All Blacks won the 2002 and 2003 Tri-Nations
titles, as well as the Bledisloe Cup
in 2003.
coach. The contract was for four years – leading into the 2011 Rugby World Cup
– as Deans became the first ever foreigner to coach Australia. His contract with the Crusaders finished after the 2008 season and the New Zealand Rugby Union agreed to allow Deans to continue as Crusaders coach through the 2008 Super 14 season.
Shortly after the details were made official, Deans released a personal statement on the Crusader's official website:
Deans had a somewhat unsuccessful first year in 2008. In addition to losing three consecutive tests against arch-rival Graham Henry
, Australia
also lost by a record 53–8 to the Springboks
. Australia was also pushed hard in a number of games against limited opposition. This included a narrow win against easy beats Italy
and a weakened Irish team. 2008 was an improvement for Australia, however, as under Deans the Wallabies secured its largest win over the All Blacks
in nine years and its first win in South Africa in eight. Deans also became the first Wallabies coach to win on the South African highveldt in 47 years after the team won 41–39 in Bloemfontein, thanks to a penalty goal from Kurtley Beale
with no time left. While coaching the Wallabies in 2011 they had a mixed year - losing to Samoa before another loss to the All Blacks in Auckland, and defeating South Africa both home and away. In the 2011 Rugby World Cup Australia suffered a surprise loss to Ireland in pool play, finishing second in their pool and going on to defeat South Africa 9-8 before another loss to the All Blacks (20-6) in the semi final.
During Deans' time as the coach of Australia, he became popular with the Australian media and public, earning the nicknames "Dingo Deans" and "Aussie Bob".
Sports Trust's Canterbury Coach of the Year in 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2006, sharing the award in 2001 (with Steve Hansen) and 2006 (with Vern Cotter). He was nominated for Halberg Award Coach of the Year in 2002. He also won the New Zealand Rugby Coach of the Year Award in 2002.
, was an All Black and also captained the Canterbury rugby team. His brother, Bruce, was an All Black and member of the Canterbury team. His brother Colin Deans also played rugby, and his father Tony Deans played cricket
.
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
and former All Black. He is the former coach of the Crusaders. He also served as assistant to former All Blacks coach John Mitchell
John Mitchell (rugby player)
John Eric Paul Mitchell, is a noted former rugby union player and former coach for the New Zealand All Blacks. Mitchell's rugby career blossomed with the club side Fraser-Tech after he moved from King Country in 1984 and was soon elected Waikato Colts captain...
between late 2001 and 2003. As the coach of the Crusaders, Deans has won more Super rugby titles than any other (three Super 12 titles and two Super 14). He has also coached the Canterbury provincial team in the National Provincial Championship
National Provincial Championship
The National Provincial Championship, or NPC, is the major domestic rugby competition in New Zealand. The NPC has seen many alterations to its format and brand. Since 2006 the National Championship has been split into 2 competitions, the ITM Cup and the Heartland Championship...
, winning the title in 1997. As a player, Deans represented Canterbury, first playing at fly half, and later fullback. He also played nineteen matches for the All Blacks, including five Tests.
Playing career
Deans attended Christ's CollegeChrist's College, Canterbury
Christ's College, Christchurch is an independent, Anglican, secondary, day and boarding school for boys, located in the central city of Christchurch, New Zealand....
in Christchurch as a boarder where he played rugby mainly at first five-eighth. He made his provincial debut for Canterbury in 1979 and played mainly at fullback, as the team already had future All Black coach Wayne Smith
Wayne Smith (rugby player)
Wayne Ross Smith is a former rugby union footballer, and currently a rugby union coach. He is currently the backs coach for New Zealand's national rugby union team the All Blacks. He played provincial rugby for Canterbury and became an All Black in 1980. He played first five-eighth, gaining 35...
playing at first-five. Deans was the first-choice goal-kicker for the team and scored 1,641 points for his province. He was a member of the Canterbury team during the Ranfurly Shield
Ranfurly Shield
The Ranfurly Shield, colloquially known as the Log o' Wood, is a trophy in New Zealand's domestic rugby union competition. First played for in 1904, the Ranfurly Shield is based on a challenge system, rather than a league or knockout competition as with most football trophies...
era of the early 1980s. This included kicking eight of Canterbury's 16 points in its 16–12 Shield challenge win over Wellington
Wellington Rugby Football Union
The Wellington Rugby Football Union is the official governing body of rugby union in the city of Wellington, the capital of New Zealand...
in 1982. The shield reign ended in 1985 against Auckland
Auckland Rugby Football Union
The Auckland Rugby Football Union is the governing body of rugby union in the Auckland Region, in the North Island of New Zealand. Its colours are navy blue and white in a hoop design. Auckland's top representative team have won New Zealand's top provincial rugby competition 16 times, more than...
in "the match of the century" where Deans also played. This reign is the longest in Canterbury rugby union history. He went on to represent Canterbury 146 times until 1990.
Deans also played for New Zealand's national rugby team, the All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
. His first game for the All Blacks was against Edinburgh on 26 October 1983. Deans played five tests for the All Blacks, scoring 50 points. He played an additional 14 games for the All Blacks scoring 202 points. His All Black career lasted less than two years, playing his last game against a Mar del Plata selection on 29 October 1985. He did however participate in the controversial Cavaliers
New Zealand Cavaliers
The Cavaliers was the name given to an unofficial New Zealand rugby union team which toured South Africa in 1986.The rebel tour occurred after the official All Black tour planned for 1985 was cancelled due to a legal ruling that it would be incompatible with the NZRFU's legally stated purpose:...
tour of South Africa
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
in 1986. Deans also played for Canterbury Country in the Hawke Cup
Hawke Cup
The Hawke Cup is a cricket competition for New Zealand's District Associations. Apart from 1910/11, 1912/13 and 2000/01 the competition has always been on a challenge basis. In order to win the Hawke Cup the challenger must beat the holder on their home ground...
.
Canterbury and Crusaders
Deans was appointed as coach of the Canterbury team for the 1997 National Provincial ChampionshipNational Provincial Championship
The National Provincial Championship, or NPC, is the major domestic rugby competition in New Zealand. The NPC has seen many alterations to its format and brand. Since 2006 the National Championship has been split into 2 competitions, the ITM Cup and the Heartland Championship...
(NPC) season. He was assisted by Steve Hansen
Steve Hansen
Steve Hansen is a New Zealand rugby union coach and former player.He was the head coach of the Welsh national team. He became the ninth Welsh coach in 13 years, after Graham Henry parted company with the Welsh Rugby Union in 2002. During his first game in charge, Wales performed well but lost by...
(current All Blacks forwards coach). Deans' first season was a success, with Canterbury beating Auckland for the first time in 14 years, then going on to win the title. The following year he managed the Canterbury Crusaders (since renamed Crusaders) Super Rugby franchise who were coached by Wayne Smith. The Crusaders won the title, beating the Auckland Blues (since renamed the Blues) in the final at Eden Park
Eden Park
Eden Park is the biggest stadium in Auckland, New Zealand. It is used primarily for rugby union in winter and cricket in summer . The ground also occasionally hostts rugby league matches. To accommodate all three sports, the cricket pitch is removable...
. The Crusaders repeated this feat the following year, with Deans again manager.
In 2000 Deans took over as Crusaders coach after Wayne Smith became All Blacks coach. He coached the Crusaders to their third successive Super 12 title that year, beating the Brumbies
Brumbies Rugby
The Brumbies are a Super 15 rugby union team based in Canberra, Australia and named for the wild horses which inhabit Canberra's hinterland...
in Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
. He continued to coach the Canterbury team in the NPC in 2000 which lead to a Ranfurly Shield win over Waikato; the shield was held until 2003 (totalling 23 challenges). Canterbury's success in the 2000 season saw them host the NPC final at Jade Stadium
Jade Stadium
Lancaster Park, formerly Jade Stadium and currently known as AMI Stadium through sponsorship rights, is a sports stadium situated in Waltham, a suburb of Christchurch in New Zealand....
against Wellington. A victory would have seen Deans coach teams to Super 12, Ranfurly Shield and NPC titles in the same year; however eventually Wellington won 34–29.
From 2001 Deans concentrated solely on the Crusaders. The 2001 Super 12 season was his least successful in charge – the Crusaders finish tenth. But the following season, the Crusaders went through the entire season undefeated and won their fourth title overall, and their second with Deans as coach. In the following two seasons the Crusaders finished runners-up to the Blues in 2003, and then the Brumbies in 2004. The Crusaders won their third title under Deans in 2005. The Crusaders won their sixth title (the first of the expanded Super 14) in 2006, and their fourth win with Deans in charge, making him the most successful coach in Super Rugby history so far. In 2008, Deans' last season in charge of the Crusaders, he coached them to a seventh super rugby title after they beat the NSW Waratahs at Jade Stadium. In honour of the Deans family, Jade Stadium (now AMI Stadium) erected a new stand called the "Deans Stand". Following the February 22 Aftershock, there remains doubt as to whether AMI Stadium will ever be used again, after some of the ground, including parts of the Deans stand, suffered structural damage. Sadly as a result, the impressive new stand will not be showcased during the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
John Mitchell appointed Deans as his assistant when he became All Blacks coach in late 2001. Deans held the position until Mitchell was replaced after the 2003 Rugby World Cup
2003 Rugby World Cup
The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...
. Under Mitchell and Deans, the All Blacks won the 2002 and 2003 Tri-Nations
Rugby Union Tri Nations
The Rugby Championship is an international rugby union competition contested annually by Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The competition is organized by SANZAR, a consortium formed by the governing bodies of the Australian Rugby Union, the New Zealand Rugby Union and the South...
titles, as well as the Bledisloe Cup
Bledisloe Cup
Rugby Union's Bledisloe Cup is contested by the Australia national rugby union team and New Zealand national rugby union team. It is named after Lord Bledisloe, the former Governor-General of New Zealand who donated the trophy in 1931. The trophy was designed in New Zealand by Nelson Isaac, and...
in 2003.
Australia
On 14 December 2007, it was announced that Deans had been appointed the new AustraliaAustralia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
coach. The contract was for four years – leading into the 2011 Rugby World Cup
2011 Rugby World Cup
The 2011 Rugby World Cup was the seventh Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. The International Rugby Board selected New Zealand as the host country in preference to Japan and South Africa at a meeting in Dublin on 17 November 2005...
– as Deans became the first ever foreigner to coach Australia. His contract with the Crusaders finished after the 2008 season and the New Zealand Rugby Union agreed to allow Deans to continue as Crusaders coach through the 2008 Super 14 season.
Shortly after the details were made official, Deans released a personal statement on the Crusader's official website:
[...]
The decision to leave Christchurch after the end of the 2008 Crusaders season and coach overseas has undoubtedly been one of the most difficult of my professional sporting career.
While the rugby marketplace has been global ever since rugby went professional 12 years ago, it is probably only now that I truly appreciate the thought process and the 'what ifs?' that so many others have gone through before reaching this point.
To go (off shore) is a big decision. It is not one that is entered into lightly.
[...]
I am ready to coach internationally.
After serving for eleven years as a Super rugby manager and coach here, I feel I can not afford to forgo the position offered to me in Australia.
It is both flattering and humbling that the Australian Rugby Union has afforded me this opportunity.
While it will no doubt be an interesting position to be in, coaching against New Zealand; it is not without precedent, and will add to my personal development as a coach – as it has done for others before me.
I always aspired to leave the Crusaders in good shape when the time came.
I believe I will be doing that.
Not only do we have a good level of depth among our player base, there are some quality people in place around the team, and some highly promising coaches coming through.
Their time is coming. It would not have been right to delay their potential development by hanging on for too long.
I'm proud of my association with Canterbury rugby, the Crusaders, Christchurch and the wider Crusaders franchise community.
[...]
Although the move to Australia opens a new chapter in our lives, it's not a case of closing the book here.
Our thoughts will always be with Canterbury and the Crusaders.
[...]
Robbie Deans
Deans had a somewhat unsuccessful first year in 2008. In addition to losing three consecutive tests against arch-rival Graham Henry
Graham Henry
Graham Henry is a New Zealand Rugby Union coach, and former head coach of the country's national team, the All Blacks. He played rugby union for Canterbury and cricket for Otago in the Plunket Shield. Henry was heavily criticized following the All Blacks quarterfinal exit at the 2007 Rugby World...
, Australia
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
also lost by a record 53–8 to the Springboks
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
. Australia was also pushed hard in a number of games against limited opposition. This included a narrow win against easy beats Italy
Italy national rugby union team
The Italy national rugby union team represent the nation of Italy in the sport of rugby union. The team is also known as the Azzurri . Italy have been playing international rugby since the late 1920s, and since 2000 compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland,...
and a weakened Irish team. 2008 was an improvement for Australia, however, as under Deans the Wallabies secured its largest win over the All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
in nine years and its first win in South Africa in eight. Deans also became the first Wallabies coach to win on the South African highveldt in 47 years after the team won 41–39 in Bloemfontein, thanks to a penalty goal from Kurtley Beale
Kurtley Beale
Kurtley Beale is an Australian representative rugby union player. His primary position is fullback.- Youth :Beale signed to the Waratahs while a 16 year old at St Joseph's College, Hunters Hill. Before leaving school Beale captained the Australian Schoolboys and regularly attended training...
with no time left. While coaching the Wallabies in 2011 they had a mixed year - losing to Samoa before another loss to the All Blacks in Auckland, and defeating South Africa both home and away. In the 2011 Rugby World Cup Australia suffered a surprise loss to Ireland in pool play, finishing second in their pool and going on to defeat South Africa 9-8 before another loss to the All Blacks (20-6) in the semi final.
During Deans' time as the coach of Australia, he became popular with the Australian media and public, earning the nicknames "Dingo Deans" and "Aussie Bob".
Awards
Besides coaching the Crusaders to five Super Rugby titles, Deans has won numerous individual awards. He was the Sir Richard HadleeRichard Hadlee
Sir Richard John Hadlee, MBE is a former New Zealand cricketer who played provincial cricket for Canterbury, Nottinghamshire and Tasmania. He is the son of Walter Hadlee, and the brother of Dayle and Barry Hadlee. His former wife Karen also played international cricket for New Zealand.Hadlee was...
Sports Trust's Canterbury Coach of the Year in 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2006, sharing the award in 2001 (with Steve Hansen) and 2006 (with Vern Cotter). He was nominated for Halberg Award Coach of the Year in 2002. He also won the New Zealand Rugby Coach of the Year Award in 2002.
Notable family members
His great-uncle, Bob DeansBob Deans
Bob Deans was a former All Black and Canterbury rugby union player....
, was an All Black and also captained the Canterbury rugby team. His brother, Bruce, was an All Black and member of the Canterbury team. His brother Colin Deans also played rugby, and his father Tony Deans played cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
.