Rugby Union
Culture Isn’t a Box to Tick: It’s How Winning Teams Actually Work
Every now and then you hear a sports comment that sounds clever for about five seconds… until you stop and think about it.
by Joey Nanai I 17th March 2026
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Recently, someone said we should be “over culture coaches” and just focus on rugby coaches. At first, it sounds tough. Old-school. Like someone who just wants to get on with the job. But when you actually think about it, the whole argument starts to wobble like a scrum on roller skates. Because here’s the simple truth. Great teams don’t choose between rugby coaching and team culture. They need both.
The Funny Part
The latest criticism has been aimed at the idea that Tana Umaga might be involved in the All Blacks coaching group under Dave Rennie. But here’s the thing. There hasn’t even been an official announcement yet. None. No press release. No confirmed job. Nothing. And yet people are already angry about it. Bloody marvellous. That’s the kind of analysis you usually hear from couch coaches yelling at the TV.
The Big Mistake in the Argument
The argument basically says: “Just give me rugby coaches, not culture coaches.” But that’s like saying:
• Just give me players, not fitness coaches
• Just give me props, not scrum coaches
• Just give me fast wingers, not sprint trainers
It doesn’t work like that. Professional sport has lots of different roles because winning is complicated.
What Culture Actually Means
Some people think culture just means feelings or identity. That’s wrong. In rugby teams, culture means things like:
• Leadership
• Standards
• Accountability
• Respect for the jersey
• Players holding each other to a high level
It’s basically the rules everyone agrees to live by inside the team. Without that, talent alone isn’t enough. Talented teams lose all the time.
The All Blacks Example
The All Blacks didn’t become one of the most successful teams in world sport just because they had good players. They built an environment where:
Players respect the jersey.
Senior players set the standards.
Everyone is accountable.
That’s culture. Take that away, and you don’t get an All Blacks dynasty. You just get a bunch of good players.
The Other Thing People Get Wrong
Some people say culture is already “covered” because there are Pacific players in leadership groups. That’s not how leadership works. Having players from different backgrounds is great. But leadership still needs to be guided and reinforced by people who understand the environment and have lived it. That’s part of coaching, too.
The Real Bottom Line
Winning teams work on three levels.
Strategy: The game plan.
Execution: Skills, fitness, preparation.
Culture: Leadership, trust, standards.
Take away any one of those, and the team becomes weaker. So when someone says they’re “over culture coaches”, it might sound bold for a moment. But when you really think about it, it’s the sort of idea that makes you sit back and say: Well that’s bloody marvellous. Another expert solution to elite sport from the grandstand.