Crusaders head coach Scott Robertson has admitted his “natural disappointment” at missing out on the role of All Blacks head coach but confirmed he will not be heading overseas anytime soon.
Robertson made it to the very end of the process in the hunt to become the new All Blacks head coach, only to lose out to former head coach Steve Hansen’s assistant Ian Foster and is still feeling the pain of losing out.
“There’s always a natural process as a human, there’s a natural disappointment because I’ve put everything into it. They think they have the best man for the job and, look, through the process, I did everything I possibly could; they got who I was and how I would have loved to have led the All Blacks and they were clear with my vision and how we were going to do it, but it wasn’t to be. It’s been a good four months, hasn’t it? It feels like it’s been an election in its own way. I prepared well, everyone understands what I’ve done with my record… I had a great two and a half hours in front of the board and it went another way,” he said.
The 45-year-old has impressed many with his managerial career so far and showed his class by admitting he congratulated Foster after he was announced as the New Zealand head coach.
“I flicked a text (to Foster) to say congratulations to him. It’s been a big few months and obviously it’s nothing personal, he’s in a position like me and wants to do the best for himself and the country,” he added.
Many have feared that after Foster’s appointment that Robertson would move abroad to continue his coaching career, which has seen him record a win-percentage over 80% with Canterbury and Crusaders, winning three Super Rugby titles on the bounce with the latter.
However, Robertson has confirmed that he will be staying with the Crusaders for the remainder of his contract.
“I’m coaching the team I love, where I’ve had a lot of great moments as a player and now as a coach, I’ve got a lot of special bonds and a chance to do something pretty special,” he finished up.
The interesting part is that Foster’s contract with New Zealand runs out in two years as well, meaning that the door may still be open for Robertson to take over come 2022.
