The All Blacks Coach Who Hit the Wall: Depression, Burnout, and Winning The World Cup

Sir Graham Henry is one of the most successful and respected coaches in New Zealand sporting history.

He coached the All Blacks from 2004 to 2011, finishing with 88 wins from 103 test matches.

This podcast first came out in 2023- I’m re-releasing it because at the age of 80, 15 years after he retired as coach, Sir Graham Henry is back with the All Blacks as the team selector.

Some of the ground we cover in this conversation includes:

+ His 56-year marriage to Raewyn and why she first thought he was “a bit of a prick”

+ The great Auckland rugby dynasty of the 1990s where he coached Jonah Lomu, Michael Jones, Sean Fitzpatrick, Carlos Spencer and others

+ Being told by NZ rugby he would be banned for life from coaching in New Zealand again if he went to Wales. Then going anyway.

The loneliness and pressure of coaching the Lions.

+ Why suffering burnout and depression changed his whole coaching philosophy

+ Reflections on the 2007 and 2011 Rugby World Cups and much more.

I loved this episode when it first came out, and I still love it now. Ted is a true icon of NZ Rugby.

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