John MacDonald: Razor Robertson has my blessing to leave

Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald

Does Crusaders Coach Scott Razor Robertson have your blessing to leave Canterbury and leave New Zealand ASAP to do what he should have been doing years ago - which is coaching a national rugby team and leading it to glory at the World Cup? Does he have your blessing to do that? Because he sure as hell has mine.

ASAP, by the way, probably isn’t today or tomorrow - it’s probably early-ish next year because he’s still contracted to do another Super Rugby season with the Crusaders. Although, as we’ve seen in the last few days, rugby coaching contracts in New Zealand can come to an early end. Only problem is it’s the wrong contracts that have come to an early end - in my view, anyway.

But back to Razor. In the past 24 hours, he has made it very clear that he’s sick of waiting around for the All Blacks coaching role and he has big ambitions - wanting to win the Rugby World Cup twice, with two different national teams.

And the headline that’s had everyone talking says it all: “If the ABs don’t want me, I’m going overseas”. How appalling is that? Best coach in the world by far and he’s been kept waiting for a big break by New Zealand Rugby - like a school kid knocking on the door somewhere wanting a bit of work experience.

And the door hasn’t been open for Razor.

It is a shameful way to treat someone. Not just someone involved in elite sport - anyone. And, as always happens when people get treated like that, they get to the point where they look up and think ‘sod this, I’m going to make something happen myself - I don’t need to wait for these turkeys’.

And if I was him, I’d be thinking exactly the same.

Now I know this could all be Razor talking it up, to make New Zealand Rugby sit-up and pay attention. And, even if it is, you can’t blame him because the crowd that runs rugby in this country seems to have the earmuffs on don’t they?

You know how you see those All Blacks coming off the bus with the cans on? That’s what the honchos at New Zealand Rugby are like. Except I don’t think they’re listening to anything. I think they’re just trying to block out the noise. ‘Sorry mate, can’t hear ya’.

I heard on Newstalk ZB's Sportstalk show last night that there are rugby clubs in France falling over themselves trying to get Razor to coach over there. But he’s not interested. He’s 47 and wants to make the move to the big time.

And he’s ambitious. He wants to coach at the highest level and win world cups not just for one country, but two.

So he’s come out in the past 24 hours and said he is open to offers. How bold a statement is that?

Here’s what he’s been saying about missing out on the All Blacks coaching job.

"When someone doesn't give it to you, you have to think differently about what opportunities are out there.”

Now no one can accuse him, can they, of being ungracious about missing out and Ian Foster getting the gig. He’s even declined to comment in the last couple of weeks on how much of a shambles the All Blacks are under Foster. He’s probably thinking it. Hold on - probably thinking it? Sorry, he’ll definitely be thinking it.

And I reckon seeing Foster keep his job after that disastrous series loss to Ireland has been the final straw for Razor and he’s decided it’s time to be a bit more forthcoming on what he wants and it’s time to tell the world that he’s not going to wait around for the dinosaurs at New Zealand Rugby to come to their senses. As he says, he’s open to offers.

And I genuinely hope those offers flood in. Not from clubs - but from national teams wanting to tap into his magic.

England could be a real possibility if Eddie Jones ends up going back to Australia to coach rugby league. That's the talk, isnt it? Either way, Razor is officially on the market and - now that he is - who knows where the offers might come from?

Which is very exciting for him. Daunting too, though, because moving overseas when you’ve still got quite a young family isn’t the easy option. So there’ll be alot to consider.

But he’s said it himself, he’s on the market and open to offers and - if the All Blacks don’t want him - then he’s heading overseas. And when that happens - not if, when that happens - it will be the greatest self-inflicted cock-up by New Zealand Rugby since Buck Shelford was dropped from the All Blacks in 1990.

That said, I don’t want him held back any longer. Yes, he’ll be a massive loss to the Crusaders. But it’s going to have to happen sometime. And if he can’t leave us to coach the All Blacks, then I’m more than happy for him to leave us to go somewhere where his brilliance as a coach and a person is appreciated and where he’ll no longer be the King in waiting, and waiting, and waiting.

That’s why Razor, you’ve got my blessing to leave.

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