#45: Robbie Deans | Creating The Crusaders Championship Culture & Building Living Legacies

The Rugby Bricks Podcast

Robbie Deans is a New Zealand rugby union coach and former player, currently the head coach of the Panasonic Wild Knights. He was head coach of the Australian national team between 2008 and 2013. Deans had previously coached the Crusaders for eight seasons and was an assistant coach of New Zealand between late 2001 and 2003. As the coach of the Crusaders, Deans has won more Super Rugby titles than any other. As a player, Deans represented Canterbury and the All Blacks.

Deans has had one of the most decorated careers to date as a rugby coach and in this episode of the podcast, we learn what it takes to create the results he has. We dive into:

• Understanding that culture is something that isn’t seen when you’re in the room with the team but what they say when you’re not in the room
• How Deans created the Crusaders culture of victory as back to back to back champions and how players maintained an amateur ethos to leave a legacy of victory
• How he made all players have one interest outside of rugby to avoid crumbling under pressure when things weren’t going right on the pitch
• How the Crusaders nearly didn’t make it to a semi-final in Dunedin because an over-excited bus driver lost his nerve because he was too excited and couldn’t get the players to the ground in time and how he built this type of culture across the entire Canterbury community

From management to matches this podcast had everything. If you’re a coach, player or supporter this Rugby Bricks episode is worth listening to twice. Once for the joy of it and the second for the knowledge.

Please enjoy this wide-ranging and impressive episode with none other than Robbie Deans.