24 March 2026 PMN: Tana Umaga isn’t a ‘token hire’, he’s a leader the All Blacks need

On Pacific Media Network, Te Whare Wānaka o Aoraki Lincoln University's Dr Hoani Smith, alongside Dr Phillip Borell from the University of Canterbury and Associate Professor Dion Enari from Ngā Wai a Te Tūī, Unitec, discuss Tana Umaga and recent comments centred around his possible employment as the next All Blacks' defensive coach.

When Fa’alogo Tana Umaga was named as a possible All Blacks’ defence coach, some voices rushed to dismiss him as inexperienced or a ‘culture hire’.

As Māori and Pacific academics and sport practitioners, we challenge that myth and the narrow thinking behind it.

Umaga is now confirmed as an assistant coach but recently, media reports linking him with the All Blacks coaching staff sent the comments sections and independent podcasts into a tailspin. 

The common thread appears to be a misunderstanding of the importance of culture in high-performance sports.

Culture, in a sporting sense, cannot be simplified to ethnicity or heritage. Any champion knows that culture, while inclusive of ethnicity and heritage, also needs to consider environment, relationships, leadership and a broader sense of identity that exists well beyond the colour line.

To have the technical expertise and not understand the importance of the above-mentioned is to not harness the potential strengths that these players bring to the team (yes, remember it’s a team sport).

Read the full article on Pacific Media Network here >>