Six months after taking the All Blacks to the World Cup final, Foster will coach Japanese club Toyota Verblitz.
Former New Zealand coach Ian Foster has been named coach of Japanese club Toyota Verblitz, six months after taking the All Blacks to the World Cup final.
Foster, who was replaced by Scott Robertson after the tournament in France, will take the reins at League One club Verblitz for the 2024/25 season and will be reunited with his former boss Steve Hansen. Hansen had Foster as an assistant coach during his eight years in charge of the All Blacks and is now director of rugby at Verblitz.
«Of course, I look forward to meeting Steve again and working with him.”, Foster, who succeeded Hansen as All Blacks coach in 2019, said in a club statement on Tuesday. “We have always worked together and accomplished many great things together.” Foster will also be reunited with long-serving All Blacks scrum-half Aaron Smith, who joined Verblitz on a multi-year deal after the World Cup.
Verblitz announced on Tuesday that it had signed New Zealand international Joey Manu, who won the National Rugby League championship twice with the Sydney Roosters. “I look forward to returning to rugby union and participating in the prestigious Japan Rugby League One competition., the 27-year-old said in a statement. “I know the transition won’t be easy, but I will rise to the challenge.
