Rob Penney exit interview on his Crusaders tenure, the travails of 2024 then a Super Rugby title

Saturday, 20 June 2026

Rob Penney says coaching the Crusaders was the pinnacle and he leaves the Super Rugby Pacific club in good heart, but he still feels “no coach should have had to put up with” the criticism he copped in his first season.

The 62-year-old departs after steering the Crusaders to 27 wins from 47 matches for a 57.5% winning percentage.

The injuries-ravaged Crusaders finished ninth in 2024 but bounced back to win a record 15th title in 2025.

Their 2026 defence ended in third place with a 49-12 semifinal defeat to the Chiefs.

“We were probably 10% off, the Chiefs were at their best and we got punished,’’ Penney said, admitting the tank was empty after a big four or five weeks in the new Christchurch stadium.

“The desire of the group to remain unbeaten created a sort of fortress mentality.”

Red and black runs in Penney’s veins after over 100 games in Canterbury’s back row as a player and coaching Canterbury to four successive NPC titles.

The 2005 Crusaders assistant probably should have got the top job after Robbie Deans left in 2008, but had to wait until 2024 after coaching in Ireland and Japan before a short Super Rugby stint with the Waratahs.

Penney, who steps down by choice to be replaced by Scott Hansen, finally got the gig he regards “as the honour of my life” in 2024.

But it was a baptism of fire. Scott Robertson had left for the All Blacks after seven successive titles and “significant leadership’’ departed when Sam Whitelock and Richie Mo’unga moved overseas.

Will Jordan and Braydon Ennor were ruled out for the season. Five other All Blacks, including Scott Barrett, copped injuries, and Codie Taylor was a late starter after a sabbatical.

Injuries and form meant the Crusaders fielded five first five eighths after Richie Mo’unga had played “80% of the games at 10 for the previous seven years”.

Pressure mounted after four opening losses and a “tsunami of hatred towards the Crusaders’’ followed.

“Before round five I was asked ‘would I fall on my sword?’, as if this was all my fault.” Penney recalled.

“Internally [it was] no problem, externally, I thought it was horrific. No coach should have to put with that.

“I thought there was a really biased … and agenda-driven nature towards the reporting of the situation. I spoke to one of the media guys about it and his answer was ‘the Crusaders have high standards and they weren’t being met’.

“The Crusaders went for eight years before Razor came in without winning anything. No-one put the blowtorch on the staff at that point, and rightfully so. There’s all sorts of nuances that determine outcomes.”

Penney isn’t on social media, but his family are and he felt the vitriol was “unfair” on them.

It was much tougher than when he was sacked by the Waratahs in 2021 “because it’s my home”.

“If it wasn’t for the calibre of people in the organisation and the players being supportive, I wouldn’t have stayed.”

The pressure spilled over when Penney swore about a TVNZ reporter in a private aside to a colleague after a media conference.

The Crusaders later apologised. Penney regretted the “embarrassing moment” but was disappointed that the network chose to run it on air.

Ultimately, an external season review found Penney and his coaching staff had the full backing of the players. The review noted the injury toll and five losses by five points or fewer, but recommended 53 improvement points across the whole organisation.

Penney never thought about quitting, saying: “I still had a desire to stay in the fight”.

He said some key factors sparked the return to the champion’s podium in 2025.

“The players that were missing in 2024 were back. We fixed the issue we had at 10” with the growth of Taha Kemara and Rivez Reihana, backed by the leadership of Wallabies “security blanket” James O’Connor.

In many ways, the 2026 season was a mini-microcosm of 2024 with injuries again a bugbear.

“No team will ever recover from losing four of their biggest players [Jordan, Barrett, Tamaiti Williams and George Bell].” .

Ultimately, two road defeats to the Reds after a controversial late knock-on ruling and to the Western Force after racking up a 19-0 lead cost the Crusaders a home semifinal.

“The pleasing aspect was how the next level of men were able to step up and complete. In 2024, we couldn’t finish anything, but in 2026 those men stepped up and were awesome. The place is in good shape leadership wise, there’s been some real growth in the last three years.”

He cites the captaincy of David Havili, the progress of Jamie Hannah, Dom Gardiner, Tahlor Cahill, Seb Calder and Finlay Brewis, the growing leadership of departing midfielder Dallas McLeod and the successful transition of “hybrid” back turned flanker Leicester Fainga’anuku among highlights.

Penney was only going to be there as long as he felt he could make a difference. He leaves satisfied that the Crusaders have successfully integrated various off-field departments with a “world-class’’ leadership programme and “succession planning of talent”.

Penney wanted to make sure his coaching group of James Marshall, Matt Todd, Brad Mooar and Dan Perrin were ready to drive the Crusaders forward.

He “knew after year one that was going to be the case”.

Penney now plans to spend more time with wife Erin and their family and go fishing from their Marlborough Sounds base, “trap some possums and grow some vegetables”.

After a break he’ll get a “really bad knee replaced’’ and will probably still be involved, but not overseas after almost 12 years abroad, including a four-month Covid spell apart from his wife.

“There’s no place like New Zealand. Christchurch is my home, and I love it here.”