John Hart (rugby coach)
Encyclopedia
John Bernard Hart, ONZM
(born 1946) was a New Zealand
rugby union
coach
, mainly for Auckland
and the All Blacks
. After many years in business, during which he rose to become Group Employee Relations Director for Fletcher Challenge
, then New Zealand's largest company, John Hart began his first class coaching career for Auckland in 1982. He coached Auckland to the National Provincial Championship
(NPC) title in 1982, 1984 and 1985, and it was during his tenure that, in 1985, Auckland won the Ranfurly Shield
from Canterbury
and began the series of 61 successful defences that remains a record in shield history.
Hart, together with Alex Wyllie
, was an assistant coach under Brian Lochore
when the All Blacks won the first Rugby World Cup
in 1987. In 1988, Lochore retired from coaching and Wyllie was appointed to succeed him, an appointment that upset many, especially Auckland, fans. Hart then refused to be part of the selection panel, but was eventually appointed co-coach with Wyllie for the 1991 Rugby World Cup
. In hindsight, this was widely regarded to be a mistake: the personality clash between the two coaches was reflected in a split within the squad into Auckland and Canterbury factions.
Following the All Blacks' loss to Australia
in the semi-finals, Wyllie resigned, while Hart sought to become head coach, but was beaten to the post by the then Otago
coach Laurie Mains
.
Mains coached the All Blacks to the final of the 1995 Rugby World Cup
, which was won by South Africa
, continued as coach for a year-end tour to France
, after which he resigned and was replaced by John Hart. During Hart's tenure as head coach, the All Blacks achieved their first ever series win in South Africa, in 1996, and won the Tri-Nations three times, in 1996/97 and 1999. But when New Zealand lost unexpectedly to France in the semi-final of the 1999 Rugby World Cup
, Hart, like his immediate predecessors, resigned. As head coach, Hart was in charge of the All Blacks for 41 games, winning 31, drawing one and losing nine.
In 1990, John Hart was the coach of a New Zealand Under-21 side that toured Australia; one of the players in the squad was Martin Johnson, who captained England to the title at the 2003 Rugby World Cup
.
In January 2005, Hart was appointed to the Board of Cullen Sports, owners of the New Zealand Warriors
, a New Zealand
rugby league
club, for which he is now the Executive Director of Football. He also serves on the boards of a number of other companies, provides consultancy services in the fields of human resources and leadership, and is an active speaker on the lecture circuit.
For his services to rugby, John Hart was appointed an Officer of The New Zealand Order of Merit
in The Queen's Birthday Honours
1997.
Hart is the co-author (with Paul Thomas) of two books, Straight from the Hart (1993) (ISBN 1852915331) and Change of Hart (1997) (ISBN 1869585712); the latter gives a first-hand account of the transition to professional rugby, in which he played a significant part.
New Zealand Order of Merit
The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order established in 1996 "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rendered meritorious service to the Crown and nation or who have become distinguished by their eminence, talents, contributions or other merits."The order includes five...
(born 1946) was a New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
, mainly for Auckland
Auckland Rugby Football Union
The Auckland Rugby Football Union is the governing body of rugby union in the Auckland Region, in the North Island of New Zealand. Its colours are navy blue and white in a hoop design. Auckland's top representative team have won New Zealand's top provincial rugby competition 16 times, more than...
and the All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
. After many years in business, during which he rose to become Group Employee Relations Director for Fletcher Challenge
Fletcher Challenge
Fletcher Challenge is a now defunct multinational corporation from New Zealand, formed in 1981 by the merger of Fletcher Holdings, Challenge Corporation and Tasman Pulp and Paper...
, then New Zealand's largest company, John Hart began his first class coaching career for Auckland in 1982. He coached Auckland to the National Provincial Championship
National Provincial Championship
The National Provincial Championship, or NPC, is the major domestic rugby competition in New Zealand. The NPC has seen many alterations to its format and brand. Since 2006 the National Championship has been split into 2 competitions, the ITM Cup and the Heartland Championship...
(NPC) title in 1982, 1984 and 1985, and it was during his tenure that, in 1985, Auckland won the Ranfurly Shield
Ranfurly Shield
The Ranfurly Shield, colloquially known as the Log o' Wood, is a trophy in New Zealand's domestic rugby union competition. First played for in 1904, the Ranfurly Shield is based on a challenge system, rather than a league or knockout competition as with most football trophies...
from Canterbury
Canterbury Rugby Football Union
The Canterbury Rugby Football Union is the governing body for rugby union in a substantial part of the Canterbury region, in the middle of the South Island of New Zealand...
and began the series of 61 successful defences that remains a record in shield history.
Hart, together with Alex Wyllie
Alex Wyllie
Alex "Grizz" Wyllie is a former New Zealand rugby union footballer and coach.Wyllie began his first-class career with Canterbury in 1964 and played 210 matches for the province until 1979, serving as captain on over one hundred occasions...
, was an assistant coach under Brian Lochore
Brian Lochore
Sir Brian James Lochore, ONZ, KNZM, OBE is a former rugby union footballer and coach who represented and captained the New Zealand national team, the All Blacks. He played at number 8 and lock, as well as captaining the side 46 times...
when the All Blacks won the first Rugby World Cup
Rugby World Cup
The Rugby World Cup is an international rugby union competition organised by the International Rugby Board and held every four years since 1987....
in 1987. In 1988, Lochore retired from coaching and Wyllie was appointed to succeed him, an appointment that upset many, especially Auckland, fans. Hart then refused to be part of the selection panel, but was eventually appointed co-coach with Wyllie for the 1991 Rugby World Cup
1991 Rugby World Cup
The 1991 Rugby World Cup was the second edition of the Rugby World Cup, and was jointly hosted by England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and France; at that time, the five European countries that participated in the Five Nations Championship making it the first Rugby World Cup to be staged in the...
. In hindsight, this was widely regarded to be a mistake: the personality clash between the two coaches was reflected in a split within the squad into Auckland and Canterbury factions.
Following the All Blacks' loss to Australia
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
in the semi-finals, Wyllie resigned, while Hart sought to become head coach, but was beaten to the post by the then Otago
Otago Rugby Football Union
The Otago Rugby Football Union is the official governing body of rugby union for the Otago Region of New Zealand. The union is based in the city of Dunedin, and its home ground is Forsyth Barr Stadium. The top representative team competes in the ITM Cup, New Zealand's top provincial...
coach Laurie Mains
Laurie Mains
Laurence William 'Laurie' Mains MNZM is a former rugby union footballer and coach who represented New Zealand. Mains' representative career started when he first played for Otago in 1967. He made his All Blacks début in 1971, against the British and Irish Lions. His last Test was against Ireland...
.
Mains coached the All Blacks to the final of the 1995 Rugby World Cup
1995 Rugby World Cup
The 1995 Rugby World Cup was the third Rugby World Cup. It was hosted and won by South Africa, and was the first Rugby World Cup in which every match was held in one country....
, which was won by South Africa
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
, continued as coach for a year-end tour to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, after which he resigned and was replaced by John Hart. During Hart's tenure as head coach, the All Blacks achieved their first ever series win in South Africa, in 1996, and won the Tri-Nations three times, in 1996/97 and 1999. But when New Zealand lost unexpectedly to France in the semi-final of the 1999 Rugby World Cup
1999 Rugby World Cup
The 1999 Rugby World Cup was the fourth Rugby World Cup, and the first to be held in rugby union's professional era. The principal host nation was Wales, although the majority of matches were played outside the country, shared between England, France, Scotland and Ireland...
, Hart, like his immediate predecessors, resigned. As head coach, Hart was in charge of the All Blacks for 41 games, winning 31, drawing one and losing nine.
In 1990, John Hart was the coach of a New Zealand Under-21 side that toured Australia; one of the players in the squad was Martin Johnson, who captained England to the title at the 2003 Rugby World Cup
2003 Rugby World Cup
The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...
.
In January 2005, Hart was appointed to the Board of Cullen Sports, owners of the New Zealand Warriors
New Zealand Warriors
The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership and are the League's only team from outside Australia...
, a New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
club, for which he is now the Executive Director of Football. He also serves on the boards of a number of other companies, provides consultancy services in the fields of human resources and leadership, and is an active speaker on the lecture circuit.
For his services to rugby, John Hart was appointed an Officer of The New Zealand Order of Merit
New Zealand Order of Merit
The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order established in 1996 "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rendered meritorious service to the Crown and nation or who have become distinguished by their eminence, talents, contributions or other merits."The order includes five...
in The Queen's Birthday Honours
Queen's Birthday Honours
The Queen's Birthday Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the celebration of the Queen's Official Birthday in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen...
1997.
Hart is the co-author (with Paul Thomas) of two books, Straight from the Hart (1993) (ISBN 1852915331) and Change of Hart (1997) (ISBN 1869585712); the latter gives a first-hand account of the transition to professional rugby, in which he played a significant part.