Photo: Photosport
It was a disappointing year for our national rugby teams, the All Blacks losing three tests and most notably completely outplayed by France and Ireland, and the Black Ferns thrashed by England and France on their Northern Tour. In August, before the Northern tour, New Zealand Rugby extended coach Ian Foster's position through to the World Cup in 2023.NZR is also still to complete the $387m deal with private equity firm Silverlake, it has sold to provincial unions as the financial saviour of the sport at all levels, but which has been challenged by the New Zealand Rugby Players Association - which has proposed an alternative deal using local investors.
And there are rising concerns globally over the prevalence of post career neurological conditions in former players - this year, former All Black Carl Hayman, just 42, has been diagnosed with early onset dementia and probably chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE. He has joined the legal action being taken against World Rugby.
Kathryn is joined by NZR chief executive Mark Robinson, asking whether, given the All Blacks disappointing performance on the Northern Tour, the extension of coach Ian Foster's appointment through to the World Cup was premature.
