New Zealand Rugby (NZR) have announced that Leon MacDonald will take charge of an All Blacks XV which will go on tour to the northern hemisphere during November.
Clayton McMillan and Scott Hansen will serve as MacDonald’s assistant coaches for the All Blacks XV’s matches against Ireland ‘A’ at the RDS Arena in Dublin on November 4 and against the Barbarians at the Tottenham Stadium in London on November 13.
MacDonald played in 56 Tests for New Zealand and is the current head coach of the Blues Super Rugby Pacific team. He said the tour would provide a huge challenge and valuable experience for the players selected.
“It’s an honour to coach any team with the silver fern on the jersey and I’m looking forward to coaching a strong squad for what will be two tough matches. This team is representing New Zealand on the world stage and we will be taking that responsibility very seriously, particularly as the first group to wear the All Blacks XV jersey.”
There is plenty of excitement ahead of both matches with the clash with the Barbarians clash set to be played in front of 62,000 spectators at the home venue of Premier League football club Tottenham Hotspur. Meanwhile, a passionate crowd is expected to be in attendance at the Ireland ‘A’ match in Dublin.
Overseas exposure
NZR head of high performance Mike Anthony said: “The quality of these matches will present an ideal challenge and development opportunity to experience different playing styles and get exposure to overseas touring.
“To play against international opposition, in front of large, passionate crowds is invaluable for our next tier of talent a year out from RWC 2023.”
NZR has formed an exclusive partnership with sports promotion company Rugby Live (RL) to arrange these All Blacks XV matches. NZR has worked with RL on previous occasions including two All Blacks Tests in Chicago, an All Blacks Test in Washington DC and the UK Barbarians match in 2017.
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“The All Blacks XV will be a world class, competitive team that we believe will be a drawcard for overseas rugby fans wanting to watch players with the skills, passion and pride that are the hall mark of rugby teams representing New Zealand. We are excited about taking the All Blacks XV to the world,” Rugby Live CEO Ben Dunn said.
The All Blacks XV was launched as NZR’s next senior national representative team after the All Blacks, as a critical high-performance pathway to New Zealand’s senior national team.
The All Blacks XV follows in the footsteps of similar teams which have assembled throughout New Zealand rugby’s history, including the Junior All Blacks, New Zealand ‘A’ and Emerging Players.