All Blacks must get Tony Brown from 2028 onwards - and it won’t depend on Jamie Joseph
Thursday, 22 January 2026
ANALYSIS: New Zealand Rugby has let Tony Brown slip through their fingers twice already but there doesn't need to be a third.
Brown is locked in with the Springboks for the next two years, but time flies in test rugby and NZ Rugby should already be looking at 2028 and beyond.
Crucially, The Post understands that Brown would be keen a coaching role with the All Blacks after the next Rugby World Cup with or without Jamie Joseph.
In fact, he might have even been part of Scott Robertson’s coaching setup in 2023 had Robertson asked him.
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After Robertson was appointed, The Post contacted Brown - who was then back in Japan - to see whether the incoming All Blacks coach had been in contact to offer a role.
The answer was no, but Brown indicated he would be open to it for a very simple reason - he was soon going to be out of work.
Brown had already determined that he would not be coaching Japan after the 2023 Rugby World Cup but wanted to stay in test rugby.
It seems ridiculous in hindsight given that Brown is now one of the most in-demand coaches world rugby, but there was a window when he was technically going to be unemployed and therefore receptive to any call (which subsequently came from Rassie Erasmus and the Springboks).
As it turned out, Robertson stayed loyal to the coaching team he had assembled for his original 2019 pitch at the All Blacks job - Leon MacDonald, Jason Holland, Scott Hansen, Jason Ryan - although there is the possibility he was still nursing a grievance after Brown turned him down in 2019 to stick with Joseph.
But as for the future, Brown’s current contractual status will not have dimmed his desire to one day be a part of the All Blacks’ setup.
He’s the sort of coach that New Zealand Rugby needs to get back into their system in a parallel process to finding the next head coach.
Brown has already shown he can work successfully with Joseph and Erasmus - two big characters - and that adaptability means he’ll be able to play a role within the All Blacks no matter who is the head coach.
In fact, Brown has been at pains to repeatedly say he has never had any intention to mess with the South African style of play at the Springboks - he’s just there to add his mark where and when requested.
That approach has created a Springboks rugby monster that can beat opponents in several ways.
It is a pity for NZ Rugby that Brown is currently out of reach for the next two years, but it would be plain negligent if that’s still the case by 2028.