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Straits Times
22-06-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Super Rugby winner Rob Penney tight-lipped on Crusaders coaching future
Crusaders head coach Rob Penney and players celebrate with the trophy in the dressing room after their victory over the Chiefs in the Super Rugby Pacific grand final at Apollo Projects Stadium in Christchurch on June 21, 2025. PHOTO: AFP Canterbury Crusaders coach Rob Penney refused to be drawn on his future at the team's helm after leading his side to the Super Rugby Pacific title with victory over the Waikato Chiefs on Saturday. Penney's side sealed a 16-12 win in a tense clash in Christchurch to earn the Crusaders a record-extending 15th Super Rugby title, but the 61-year-old gave no indication whether he would return for a third season in charge. 'Not just yet,' said Penney told a press conference after Saturday's match, when asked if he had made a decision on his future. 'You wouldn't want to work anywhere else. I'm never going to work anywhere else in the industry. I'll just take time to see what falls out of the (end of season) review.' The Crusaders' Super Rugby title win marked a significant turnaround after the struggles of 2024, when the team missed out on the play-offs at the end of Penney's first season in charge. Despite that failure, management decided to stick by the former New South Wales Waratahs coach and Penney delivered, with the Crusaders finishing second in the regular season standings behind the Chiefs. His side then went on to extend their remarkable run of success on home soil, winning a 32nd consecutive play-off match in Christchurch to reclaim the trophy once more. 'Winning's fantastic,' said Penney. 'Last year we had some hiccups and some things that didn't go well for us. This year we've been on the other side of the ledger. 'We've had some calls that have gone for us and we've had some injured boys available a lot. Small margins. At the business end the right people know how to do the right things and that was evident today. 'There's some people here that were contributing today that are going to be here for a long time, and it's just exciting what the future holds.' REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
1News
22-06-2025
- Sport
- 1News
'Not sure yet' – head coach Penney won't commit to Crusaders future
Crusaders head coach Rob Penney finally has the Super Rugby championship he has craved for years but has refused to say whether he will be back to help his side defend it next season. Penney was not surprisingly in a reflective mood last night in the wake of his team's come-from-behind 16-12 grand final victory over the Chiefs to claim the Super Rugby Pacific title in a cold and damp Christchurch. The sense of relief was palpable and he could have been forgiven for feeling a sense of vindication or even redemption at the end of his second season after his first finished with his side winning only four matches in total and out of the playoffs. Penney's faith in first-five Rivez Reihana, 25, paid off handsomely as the former Chiefs player overshadowed his All Blacks opposite Damian McKenzie. And Penney and his fellow coaches watched as the Crusaders dug in for a classic Crusaders-like finals performance, helped by outstanding fullback Will Jordan, to end their time at their 'temporary' stadium with a perfect 32-0 home playoffs record. ADVERTISEMENT But, after holding on to his job last year following a review that included the hiring of an independent consultant, Penney was keeping his cards close to his chest with regards to his immediate future. It is understood that he signed a two-year contract and is therefore now off contract. Delivering a 15th title to Christchurch and the wider Crusaders region would normally be grounds to rubber stamp another year at least but Penney, who made his name as a successful coach at Canterbury but could not get a Super Rugby job in New Zealand until last season, refused to even say whether he wanted to come back. He was asked: 'Will you be back to defend the title?' 'Not sure yet,' was his reply. 'Would you like to?' 'Not sure yet.' The Crusaders players react to the final whistle in Christchurch last night. (Source: Photosport) Later, Penney was asked: 'Is there a temptation to go out on a high?' He replied: 'Well, if I answer that you're going to get the answer, aren't you?' ADVERTISEMENT It is possible that the Crusaders board have a succession plan after appointing former All Blacks assistant coach Brad Mooar as an assistant to Penney for this season but after going for continuity at the end of last year it would strike as odd to overlook him after such a triumph over the franchise's old rivals. 'I'm a small cog in the wheel,' Penney said. 'There are some wonderful people who have worked feverishly for the group and then there are the 15 lads on the field and the subs who came on plus the boys who didn't get to play and are an integral part of it. 'Last year we had some hiccups and some things that didn't go well for us. This year we've been on the other side of the ledger. We had some calls that went for us and some injured boys available a lot. Small margins. 'But at the business end the right people knew how to do the right things and that was evident today. The way Davey [Havili] and the leadership group orchestrated the game plan… I've got so much admiration for them.' Skipper Havili, almost certain to be named in Scott Robertson's All Blacks squad tomorrow, spent time off the field in the first half due to a yellow card for a head clash in a tackle and then a head injury assessment, which he passed. Consistently one of the best performers for the Crusaders this season, the midfielder was asked how he felt after winning his eighth title. 'Truly grateful,' he said. 'It takes a lot to win titles. As captain it takes a lot out of you but it makes the moment so much more enjoyable. ADVERTISEMENT Rivez Reihana kicks for the Crusaders against the Chiefs. (Source: Photosport) 'We knew we had the group to do it – the experience, the youth. We just had to believe. Throughout the year we found momentum and we're a different beast in playoffs. Once we're at home it's a tough place to play.' Havili's leadership would have contributed to such an assured performance from relative rookie Reihana in such a high-stakes match, but he said of the No.10: 'He's been doing that at training. The only thing that was keeping him out were a few niggly injuries at the start of the year. 'He just needed an opportunity and you can see what he does – he's a world-class 10. To be able to put in a performance like that against a quality Chiefs side is huge for his confidence and he's only going to get better. He's a young man with a huge future.' All sides need a bit of luck to win titles and the Crusaders got a huge slice of it when the Blues won their qualifier at Waikato Stadium to relegate the Chiefs from first seeds to second and hand home advantage in the final to the red and blacks. This will be the last such final held in the rickety stadium in Addington which was only meant to be temporary in the wake of the earthquakes but has stood for 13 years. The new covered Te Kaha stadium in the central city will operate from April next year and will likely transform the central business district. ADVERTISEMENT But Havili for one will be a little sad to have to move on. 'There's so much history here,' he said. 'Do I love it? Yeah. I've played here for 10 years. I played my first [Crusaders] game here.'
Irish Examiner
22-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Super Rugby winner Rob Penney tight-lipped on Crusaders future
Canterbury Crusaders coach Rob Penney refused to be drawn on his future at the team's helm after leading his side to the Super Rugby Pacific title with victory over the Waikato Chiefs on Saturday. Penney's side sealed a 16-12 win in a tense clash in Christchurch to earn the Crusaders a record-extending 15th Super Rugby title, but the former Munster head coach gave no indication whether he would return for a third season in charge. "Not just yet," said Penney told a press conference after Saturday's match, when asked if he had made a decision on his future. "You wouldn't want to work anywhere else. I'm never going to work anywhere else in the industry. I'll just take time to see what falls out of the (end of season) review." The Crusaders' Super Rugby title win marked a significant turnaround after the struggles of 2024, when the team missed out on the playoffs at the end of Penney's first season in charge. Despite that failure, management decided to stick by the former New South Wales Waratahs coach and Penney delivered, with the Crusaders finishing second in the regular season standings behind the Chiefs. His side then went on to extend their remarkable run of success on home soil, winning a 32nd consecutive playoff match in Christchurch to reclaim the trophy once more. "Winning's fantastic," said Penney. "Last year we had some hiccups and some things that didn't go well for us. This year we've been on the other side of the ledger. "We've had some calls that have gone for us and we've had some injured boys available a lot. Small margins. At the business end the right people know how to do the right things and that was evident today. "There's some people here that were contributing today that are going to be here for a long time, and it's just exciting what the future holds." Reuters
Scoop
22-06-2025
- Sport
- Scoop
Super Rugby Pacific Grand Final: What We Learned And What It Means For The All Blacks
All Black squad naming Midday, Monday 23 June Coastal Rugby Club, Taranaki Live blog updates on RNZ Analysis: Turns out last year was just a blip for the Crusaders. Quite a significant blip, to be fair, one that deviated from common events but very much snapped back to normal when the side lifted the Super Rugby Pacific trophy after their tense 16-12 win over the Chiefs on Saturday night. The only difference was that it was the first Crusaders trophy lift in quite a while that didn't involve breakdancing, but it's unlikely anyone's holding that against Rob Penney. Last year he was almost out of a job, now he's one of only three current head coaches in the competition who can claim they've won it. Penney's story of the last 18 months is a fascinating one, but it's his to tell when he chooses. Right now there's plenty to digest from the final and competition as a whole: The irony and ultimate success of a test match style final No one was surprised when the first instinct of the Crusaders and Chiefs was to boot the ball high, long and often in the final. That's because as soon as the play-offs started everyone started to shut down all the expansive play that had been such a big part of the competition's regeneration at the start of the season. Obviously, the dipping temperatures played their part but it was the ultimately heightened risk that saw the offloads reduced, while real estate on the field became as valuable as it is in real life. The upshot of this is that it's been the perfect workout before the test season starts. The All Blacks will likely be reverting to a stripped down style once things get close, so the fresh experience of having everything come down to a couple of key second half moments is vitally useful. Defence wins championships The Crusaders kept both the Blues and Chiefs scoreless in the second halves of the semi and final. You'd be hard pressed to find any team that does that in any game and loses. Scrums All the attention was on Tamaiti Williams and how his knee would hold up and while the big man certainly played his part, the real Crusaders hero was on the other side of the front row. For the second weekend in a row, Fletcher Newell started and finished the game - a phenomenal effort for a tighthead prop. The entire Crusaders pack can take a bow though, as their effort in the 72nd minute to win the only points of the second half was not only crucial in the context of the game, but a culmination of a fantastic effort overall. The All Black scrum was one of the major success stories last season, so it'll be no surprise at all when Newell's name once again gets read out on Monday's squad announcement. Valiant efforts Quinn Tupaea's big comeback season included a very good performance in the final, despite having little to work with due to the committed Crusaders defence. Was it enough to get him named in the initial squad? Other honourable mentions should go to Luke Jacobson, who typically threw himself into everything, Shaun Stevenson in his last game for the Chiefs, and Tupou Vaa'i, who has been outstanding all year. McMillan's legacy While Penney can now bask from the top of the mountain after being in the darkest valley, where does this leave Clayton McMillan? The Chiefs are now in Buffalo Bills territory in terms of how fans now regard them, especially considering many were ready to engrave their names on the trophy after only a few rounds earlier this year. McMillan now leaves to coach Munster, a role and overseas experience he fully deserves after dragging the corpse of what Warren Gatland had left of the Chiefs into a side that has been able to almost win a title three years in a row. Key word being 'almost' though. Will this count against him when he presumably returns to New Zealand at some stage to try and become the next All Black coach?
Otago Daily Times
22-06-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Penney tight-lipped on future as Crusaders coach
David Havili of the Crusaders and head coach Rob Penney celebrate after winning the Super Rugby Pacific final against the Chiefs at Apollo Projects Stadium in Christchurch. . Crusaders coach Rob Penney refused to be drawn on his future at the team's helm after leading his side to the Super Rugby Pacific title with victory over the Chiefs on Saturday. Penney's side sealed a 16-12 win in a tense clash in Christchurch to earn the Crusaders a record-extending 15th Super Rugby title, but the 61-year-old gave no indication whether he would return for a third season in charge. "Not just yet," said Penney told a press conference after Saturday's match, when asked if he had made a decision on his future. "You wouldn't want to work anywhere else. I'm never going to work anywhere else in the industry. I'll just take time to see what falls out of the (end of season) review." The Crusaders' Super Rugby title win marked a significant turnaround after the struggles of 2024, when the team missed out on the playoffs at the end of Penney's first season in charge. Despite that failure, management decided to stick by the former Waratahs coach and Penney delivered, with the Crusaders finishing second in the regular season standings behind the Chiefs. His side then went on to extend their remarkable run of success on home soil, winning a 32nd consecutive playoff match in Christchurch to reclaim the trophy once more. "Winning's fantastic," said Penney. "Last year we had some hiccups and some things that didn't go well for us. This year we've been on the other side of the ledger. "We've had some calls that have gone for us and we've had some injured boys available a lot. Small margins. At the business end the right people know how to do the right things and that was evident today. "There's some people here that were contributing today that are going to be here for a long time, and it's just exciting what the future holds."
