Graham Henry facts for kids
Henry in 2012
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| Birth name | Graham William Henry | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 8 June 1946 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Christchurch, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Christchurch Boys' High School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | University of Otago (DipPhEd) Massey University (BEd) |
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| Spouse | Raewyn | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | Three | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation(s) | Rugby union coach | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sir Graham William Henry is a famous New Zealand rugby union coach. He was born on June 8, 1946. People often call him 'Ted'. He is best known for leading New Zealand's national rugby team, the All Blacks, to win the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
Before becoming a full-time coach, Henry was a school teacher and even a headmaster. He also played rugby for Canterbury. He played cricket for Canterbury and Otago.
Henry coached very successful teams in the 1990s. He led the Auckland team to win the National Provincial Championship four times in a row. He also coached the Auckland Blues to win the first-ever Super 12 title in 1996.
From 1998 to 2002, he coached the Wales team. He even coached the British & Irish Lions in 2001. In 2004, he became the head coach of the All Blacks. He led them to many victories, including a big win against the British & Irish Lions in 2005.
After the All Blacks faced a tough loss in the 2007 Rugby World Cup, Henry was still chosen to continue coaching. He then guided them to win the 2011 Rugby World Cup final. He stepped down as All Blacks coach in 2011. He had coached 140 matches and won five Tri Nations titles. Later, he worked as an advisor and assistant coach for the Argentina national team.
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Early Life and Teaching Career
Graham Henry went to Christchurch Boys' High School. He then studied at the University of Otago. In 1969, he earned a diploma in Physical Education. He became a teacher of geography and physical education.
He taught at two schools famous for their rugby teams: Auckland Grammar School and Kelston Boys' High School. He coached the top rugby teams at both schools. He started teaching at Auckland Grammar in 1973. He also earned a Bachelor of Education from Massey University in 1979.
In 1982, he became the deputy headmaster at Kelston Boys' High School. He became the headmaster in 1987. He stayed in that role until 1996. That's when he decided to become a full-time rugby coach.
Coaching Success in New Zealand
Henry's first big coaching job was with the Auckland provincial rugby team. He coached them from 1992 to 1997. During this time, Auckland won the NPC four years in a row. These wins were from 1993 to 1996.
He also coached the Blues in the Super 12 competition. The Blues won the title in 1996 and 1997 under his coaching. They also reached the final in 1998. He later returned to the Blues as a technical advisor in 2003. That year, the Blues won the Super 12 championship again.
Coaching Wales and the Lions
In 1998, Graham Henry moved to coach the Wales team. He became the highest-paid rugby coach in the world at that time. He was very successful with Wales. He led them to win eleven matches in a row in 1999. Because of this success, the media in Wales called him "the Great Redeemer."
In 2001, he was chosen to coach the British and Irish Lions team. This was a special honor because he was the first Lions' coach from outside the Home Nations since 1904. However, the Lions lost their tour to Australia that year. Henry left Wales in 2002 after a big loss to Ireland. He then returned to New Zealand. He became the defensive coach for the Blues during their winning 2003 Super 12 season.
Leading the All Blacks
After the All Blacks lost in the 2003 Rugby World Cup, Henry applied for the coaching job. He was chosen in December 2003. He brought in Steve Hansen as forwards coach and Wayne Smith as attack coach. Henry himself was in charge of defense. This coaching team was often called the "Three Wise Men."
His first match as coach was against England in 2004. The All Blacks won both games easily. However, they struggled in the 2004 Tri-Nations, finishing last. Critics thought their attacking style was not creating enough tries. But they had more success later that year, beating France 45–6 in Paris.
Success and Challenges
In 2005, Henry coached the All Blacks to a 3–0 series win against the British and Irish Lions. They also won the 2005 Tri-Nations. Later that year, they achieved a Grand Slam by beating all four Home Nations teams. The All Blacks were named the 2005 IRB International Team of the Year. Henry was named Coach of the Year, and Dan Carter was Player of the Year.
In 2006, the All Blacks won the 2006 Tri-Nations again. They also won all their end-of-year matches in England, France, and Wales. Henry won the IRB Coach of the Year award again in 2006. The All Blacks were also named Team of the Year, and Richie McCaw was Player of the Year.
Henry used a "rotation policy" where he changed players in the starting team often. This created strong competition for every position.
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Henry's coaching future was uncertain after New Zealand lost to France 20–18 in the 2007 World Cup quarter-final. This was the All Blacks' worst World Cup result ever. Many people blamed Henry for some of his decisions during the game. Despite the criticism, Henry applied for the job again.
On December 7, 2007, Henry's contract as All Blacks coach was extended for two more years. This was a big decision because it was the first time an All Black coach was reappointed after a World Cup loss. Henry announced that Richie McCaw would be the captain.
In July 2009, Henry's contract was extended until the end of 2011. This meant he would coach the All Blacks through the 2011 Rugby World Cup, which was held in New Zealand. The All Blacks won the final against France 8–7.
At the IRB Awards in 2011, Henry and his team received awards. The All Blacks were named IRB International Team of the Year. Graham Henry won IRB International Coach of the Year for the fifth time.
On November 1, 2011, Henry announced he would step down as coach. He finished his All Blacks career with an amazing record. He coached the All Blacks to 88 wins in 103 Tests, a winning percentage of 85.4 percent.
In February 2012, he took a part-time role with the NZRU. He became a mentor for Super Rugby and ITM Cup coaches. In April 2012, Henry also started working with the Argentina Rugby Union (UAR). He mentored their high-level coaches and assisted the national team.
Personal Life and Recognition
Graham Henry met his wife, Raewyn, at university. Raewyn has also coached top sports teams, including the Auckland and Welsh netball teams. They live on Waiheke Island and have three children.
In the 2012 New Year Honours, Henry was made a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (KNZM). This honor was for his great services to rugby.
In 2020, he coached the Match Fit squad. This team was made up of former All Blacks who played a special game. On the show, he shared that he faced a very challenging time after coaching the Lions in 2001 while also coaching Wales. He found ways to overcome these challenges after leaving the Welsh coaching job in 2002. This experience also helped him deal with the tough loss at the 2007 World Cup. He returned to coach the Match Fit team again in 2021 and 2022.
See also
In Spanish: Graham Henry para niños
