Captain Ibis
Squad Member
Legendary All Blacks coach Steve Hansen will arrive in Australia at the end of the week as part of a 10-day business trip with the Canterbury Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs, who announced Hansen’s appointment with great fan fare last year, have been waiting eight months for him to walk through the doors at the club’s Belmore facility. He will touch down in Sydney on Thursday night and will attend the club’s next two matches against St George Illawarra and Parramatta.
Steve Hansen will be visiting Bulldogs coach Trent Barrett this week.CREDIT:GETTY, NRL PHOTOS
Hansen is regarded as one of the best coaches in all sports, leading the All Blacks to 93 victories from 108 Tests as head coach. He lost to Australia just three times in 22 games, with his most famous win coming in the form of the 2015 World Cup final at Twickenham.
Canterbury announced Hansen as the club’s high performance consultant last October, however international travel restrictions due to COVID-19 had prohibited Hansen from fulfilling his commitment in person.
Hansen has been in regular contact with coach Trent Barrett and his staff over the phone and Zoom, however the Bulldogs have been desperate for him to share his knowledge and expertise in person.
Steve Hansen arriving in New Zealand after the World Cup in 2019.CREDIT:GETTY
Barrett has an existing relationship with Hansen, having spent time with the All Blacks on previous study trips.
His knowledge and ability to implement culture and set standards will be invaluable to a Canterbury team trying to discover its identity.
Hansen will not only work with the players and coaching staff, he has been allocated time to work with the club’s office staff and visit sponsors.
Hansen is also a horse racing enthusiast. He is a part-owner of champion sprinter Nature Strip, a winner of six group 1 races including the TJ Smith Stakes in 2020 and 2021. The six-year-old will again run in The Everest, the world’s richest race on turf, in October.
Hansen will be wined and dined by ARLC chairman and Racing NSW boss Peter V’landys during his time down under.
The Bulldogs, who announced Hansen’s appointment with great fan fare last year, have been waiting eight months for him to walk through the doors at the club’s Belmore facility. He will touch down in Sydney on Thursday night and will attend the club’s next two matches against St George Illawarra and Parramatta.
Steve Hansen will be visiting Bulldogs coach Trent Barrett this week.CREDIT:GETTY, NRL PHOTOS
Hansen is regarded as one of the best coaches in all sports, leading the All Blacks to 93 victories from 108 Tests as head coach. He lost to Australia just three times in 22 games, with his most famous win coming in the form of the 2015 World Cup final at Twickenham.
Canterbury announced Hansen as the club’s high performance consultant last October, however international travel restrictions due to COVID-19 had prohibited Hansen from fulfilling his commitment in person.
Hansen has been in regular contact with coach Trent Barrett and his staff over the phone and Zoom, however the Bulldogs have been desperate for him to share his knowledge and expertise in person.
Steve Hansen arriving in New Zealand after the World Cup in 2019.CREDIT:GETTY
Barrett has an existing relationship with Hansen, having spent time with the All Blacks on previous study trips.
His knowledge and ability to implement culture and set standards will be invaluable to a Canterbury team trying to discover its identity.
Hansen will not only work with the players and coaching staff, he has been allocated time to work with the club’s office staff and visit sponsors.
Hansen is also a horse racing enthusiast. He is a part-owner of champion sprinter Nature Strip, a winner of six group 1 races including the TJ Smith Stakes in 2020 and 2021. The six-year-old will again run in The Everest, the world’s richest race on turf, in October.
Hansen will be wined and dined by ARLC chairman and Racing NSW boss Peter V’landys during his time down under.