Ahead of his book Smithy: Endless Winters & The Spring of '22 releasing tomorrow, 1News Sport reporter Jordan Oppert had a chance to exclusively chat to the man at the centre of it, Sir Wayne Smith - and dig into an early copy of his long-awaited memoir.
As part of my job, it’s a huge privilege to interview many of our sporting greats and I never take the research or preparation for them lightly - but this was on another scale.
After all, I’d read 312 pages in the 48 hours leading up to my interview – all about Sir Wayne Smith’s life.
Arriving at his Waihi Beach home, where the book was written, my cameraman Clint Bruce and I entered Wayne and Trish’s house and go to take off our shoes. Wayne, 10 metres in front carrying half our gear [he offered of course], shouted out "don’t do that, it’s a beach house!” and you could see why this is the only place he’d agree to write the book.
It's his home, his happy place and a new author’s sanctuary.
The book has been the best part of a decade in the making but after "That Spring of 2022", publisher Warren Adler and writer Phil Gifford’s persistence finally paid off – and Smithy finally said "yes".
With that, Gifford and his wife booked a bach in Waihi for two months and they smashed out a memoir in just 70-odd days.
"It's a bit of an egotistical thing to do, sitting down with a guy talking about just your own career so I found that a wee bit difficult because rugby's a team sport - you cant achieve anything by yourself in team sport," Smith said.
So I spent a lot of time changing "I" to "we" as the chapters got sent through because it's the reality of rugby. You rely on players, staff, fellow coaches to put it all together and you either fail or succeed."
"I had tears in my eyes"
Smith’s career, both playing and coaching, has been widely documented over the years but there’s also been plenty of trials, tribulations and controversy where many would’ve payed a penny for his thoughts but never got them – until now.
The first 80-odd pages, which is nearly a third of the book, is completely dedicated to the Black Ferns that 2022 Women’s World Cup campaign. Admittedly excited, Smith described it as the most memorable moment of his life except for his wedding, and the birth of his boys.
But you learn through the book if it wasn’t for his wife and kids, he may’ve quit the job a week in.
"There’s no one else, you must do it," said his wife Trish. On behalf of New Zealand, thank you Trish.
He also addresses how tough it was personally when his good mate, Glenn Moore, resigned as Black Ferns head coach. “While it may have been unjust, it was the only outcome”.
Then there was the decision to include Sevens players in the World Cup squad, leaving no room for long time Black Ferns who paved the way.
But it all paid off in the end.
"Even when I read the first copy I had tears in my eyes at the end of the chapter on the Black Ferns because it brought back so many memories," he said.
"It was dream-like the whole year for me, having those amazing women I didn't know much about putting everything on the line."
The mind of the Professor
His book also doubles as a coaching manual, sharing his secrets although they happen to be not so secret simplicities. He lived by a philosophy where if you share one gold nugget you get five back. He learned off those around him – particularly the players.
Sir Graham Henry, one of several high profile contributors to the book, so beautifully put it that Smith is so grateful for his tutelage that he believes it’s his duty to share his rugby intellectual property. Trouble is, many "don't have the IQ" to make it work on the field.
But Alex ‘Grizz’ Wyllie did.
It’s why there’s plenty dedicated to Wyllie and that dominant red and black era for Canterbury through 1979 to 1985 – which Smithy reflects fondly on. Some cracker yarns and belly laughs came from those.
As he touched on his playing days with the All Blacks [both 15s and 7s], you realise it didn’t matter who he played for whether it was club or country – he was proud of every jersey he ever wore. Still is.
But, he admits, his outright love of the Black Jersey at times was "harrowing" for his family when it came to coaching.
Accounts of his treatment from New Zealand Rugby was so poor that I genuinely believe the average person would’ve told them where to go in no uncertain terms and never returned.
He'd be sacked twice, forced to repay $50,000 in early pay out fees and punished for showing vulnerability.
Imagine if they knew way back when he'd snuck Gilbert Enoka in as a masseur, when really he was a mental skills coach - a role that has finally been appreciated for what it is.
But despite this the gravitas, pull and pride was always too strong to ignore for Smithy and nowadays, NZR know how lucky they are.
"It took a lot of support from Trish and my boys to actually come back and have another crack and for me, I knew I had to for myself," he said.
"I knew I had to prove I had the resilience to do it and I could be successful at the highest level."
Smith also pays tribute to his family - one of the most formidable teams going round - who have supported him throughout. It makes for an emotional final chapter.
And if there was ever a measure of the character of the man, even after all he’s achieved, he’s still only printed 13,500 copies of the book out of fear he’ll end up in the "bargain bin".
Smithy, the book, is available in stores from tomorrow.
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