Former All Blacks head coach Sir Graham Henry is returning to the national team as a selector.
New All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie confirmed the news in a press conference on Tuesday, saying he had held a number of conversations with the former coach before bringing him into the fold.
"We're really excited to bring Ted in as a selector," he said.
Sir Graham coached the All Blacks between 2004 and 2011 and oversaw their Rugby World Cup win at the 2011 tournament.
He was known for not only his results but his work around leadership and culture, something Rennie said was a key part of their discussions.
"I've had a number of chats with him…just to get my head around the legacy and all the work he did around leadership, and what he found and what he learned in his time as the All Blacks coach," Rennie said.
"He did talk about the impact that Sir Brian Lochore had when he was coaching the All Blacks as a selector, and so it sort of got me thinking."
Rennie said Sir Graham remained deeply connected to the game and was an "avid watcher" of rugby.
"He's very passionate. He loves the jersey. He watches a lot of rugby, and he's got pretty strong opinions on players."
Those instincts were evident when Rennie reached out to him.
"When I rang, I said, 'what have you been seeing', and he said, 'I thought you might ask that question', so he had about 60 players he wanted to talk about, which is very much Teddy," he said.
"We're hoping that, you know, with his eye, he may see something a little bit different to us, which will help get the right people within the squad."
Sir Graham was not the only experienced figure joining Rennie’s wider setup.
Former mental skills coach Gilbert Enoka was confirmed to be returning last month after stepping away in 2023.
Enoka spent two decades with the All Blacks, helping guide the team to Rugby World Cup victories in 2011 and 2015.
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