‘Everyone's scared of you’: The feedback from Sonny Bill Williams that changed Tana Umaga

Thursday, 26 March 2026

Tana Umaga says Sonny Bill Williams gave him some revealing feedback when the iconic ex-All Blacks captain was miffed at why younger players were struggling to approach him.

Umaga shared this interesting anecdote from his early coaching days, on the same day he was confirmed as one of Dave Rennie’s new assistant coaches for the All Blacks, an appointment the 52-year-old said left him a “little bit speechless” and “proud”.

“It was Sonny Bill Williams that kind of told me that ‘everyone's scared of you, Tana. They're scared because of your reputation’,” Umaga, who will remain Moana Pasifika’s head coach until June, said at the team’s base at North Harbour Stadium on Tuesday.

A formidable, tough outside back in a celebrated 74-test career, Umaga transitioned to coaching in the late 2000s at glamour French club Toulon and said he has learned to make himself more open to the idolising next generations.

“It’s funny, as soon as I finished playing and those things, I spent a lot of time just trying to be myself and not be what everyone made me out to be as the All Black captain because that’s all anyone would call me,” Umaga said.

“It was probably in my coaching roles, and you say your door’s open, but I didn't have many players coming through in my early career. I wondered why.”

Umaga then shared what former All Blacks midfielder Williams told him.

The two, both of Samoan heritage, were close. Umaga would have been a role model to the code-hopping Williams. Umaga had different coaching positions when Williams was a player at Toulon and the Blues.

Umaga said: “It’s not always the reputation I have is actually a positive thing for young players because it is quite intimidating, when I'm not an intimidating person. I think it might be just my hair that probably intimidates people.

“It’s up to me to make that first step around breaking down barriers. I’ve formulated ways over the years. That’s probably the best, biggest thing I can do to try and move us forward as quickly as we can.”

Umaga has undoubtedly forged a strong bond with players over the years in coaching roles with Counties Manukau, New Zealand’s under-20s, the Blues, Samoa, and Moana since 2022 when the Pacific team were introduced to Super Rugby Pacific.

He is more revered than feared and retains a certain aura that few have.

While Moana might have struggled to get results on the field and with less funding leaving their future uncertain, there is no doubt Umaga has cultivated an environment that has allowed Pasifika talent to prosper, and players are drawn to representing their people and families.

It’s a powerful rhetoric that superstar All Black Ardie Savea and Umaga channelled for Moana’s best performances last season, beating the Blues and Crusaders for the first time, albeit while just falling short of their first playoff appearance.

The Moana players’ reaction, shared on social media, was telling when Umaga told them of his next assignment with the All Blacks. They whooped and cheered for an eternal 30 seconds.

His fellow incoming assistant, Neil Barnes, said he was looking forward to connecting with Umaga when the All Blacks assemble in June.

“We've crossed paths a lot of the time. You're asking me how deeply do I know him? I don't, but I can feel him,” Barnes said.

“Mate, his passion for the game and his people is second to none, so I have that respect for him.”

Umaga’s listed role was as defence coach. Rennie, who said he was eager to delve deep into the All Blacks’ legacy and culture, might have more planned for Umaga, who led the All Blacks’ first Kapa o Pango haka in 2005.

Rennie was his coach at Wellington when the legendary Hurricane was in his prime.

They share something unique. Umaga was the first All Blacks captain of Pasifika heritage. Rennie will be their first coach from the Pacific. His mother is from the Cook Islands.

Umaga said they would have a discussion to see how aligned they were about the game and what the All Blacks can be.

“We both have similar backgrounds, both from Wellington with Pacific backgrounds and our culture is similar,” he said.

“Then rugby, the way we see the game, I like it that we’re kind of similar, but we’re not the same. That’s important, making sure we don’t all think about the game as the same, otherwise you’ll all make the same mistakes.”

Before beginning to build to next year’s Rugby World Cup in Australia, Umaga is determined to leave Moana in the best possible position after a slow start. Five defeats from six leaves them bottom.

“I've invested a lot of my time, and I have great belief about what we're trying to do here, and the movement behind Moana Pasifika. I still do,” Umaga said.

“It will always have a place in my heart. It’s going to be hard leaving, but I'm not going to be too far.”

Moana host the Highlanders in Albany in round seven on Friday night.