Robbie Deans facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Robbie Deans

Birth name	Robert Maxwell Deans
Date of birth	(1959-09-04) 4 September 1959 (age 65)
Place of birth	Cheviot, New Zealand
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Weight	79 kg (12 st 6 lb; 174 lb)
School	Christ's College, Christchurch
University	Lincoln University
Notable relative(s)	Bruce Deans (brother) Bob Deans (great-uncle)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Fullback Provincial / State sides Years Team Apps (Points) 1979–1990 Canterbury 146 (1641) Correct as of 2007-12-29 National team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 1983–1985 New Zealand 5 (50) Correct as of 2007-12-29 Teams coached Years Team 1997–2000 Canterbury 2000–2008 Crusaders 2001–2003 New Zealand (assistant coach) 2008–2013 Australia 2014–pres. Saitama Wild Knights 2015–2019 World XV Correct as of 8 November 2024

Robert Maxwell Deans, born on September 4, 1959, is a famous rugby union coach and former player from New Zealand. He is currently the head coach for the Japanese team, Saitama Wild Knights. From 2008 to 2013, he was the head coach of the Australian national team.

Before that, Deans coached the Crusaders for eight seasons. He also worked as an assistant coach for the New Zealand national team, known as the All Blacks, from late 2001 to 2003. As the Crusaders' coach, he led them to win three Super 12 titles and two Super 14 titles. He also coached Canterbury in the National Provincial Championship, winning the title in 1997. As a player, Deans played for Canterbury, first as a fly-half and later as a fullback. He played 19 matches for the All Blacks, including five official test matches.

Playing Rugby: Robbie Deans' Early Career

Robbie Deans went to Christ's College, Christchurch as a boarder. There, he mostly played as a first five-eighth in rugby. In 1979, he started playing for his home province, Canterbury. He mainly played as a fullback because Wayne Smith, who later became an All Blacks coach, was already playing fly-half for the team.

Deans was the main goal-kicker for Canterbury. He scored an amazing 1,641 points for the team during his career. He was a key player for Canterbury when they held the Ranfurly Shield for a long time in the early 1980s. This included kicking eight of Canterbury's 16 points in their 16–12 win against Wellington in 1982. In 1983-1984, he played for the French club FC Grenoble. The Ranfurly Shield reign ended in 1985 against Auckland in a famous game. This period was the longest time Canterbury rugby union had held the shield. Deans played 146 games for Canterbury before his playing career ended in 1990.

Playing for the All Blacks

Robbie Deans also played for New Zealand's national rugby team, the All Blacks. His first game for the All Blacks was against Edinburgh on October 26, 1983. Deans played five test matches for the All Blacks, scoring 50 points. He played 14 more games for the All Blacks, scoring 202 points in total. His All Black career lasted less than two years, with his last game on October 29, 1985. He also played cricket for Canterbury Country in the Hawke Cup.

Coaching Success: From Canterbury to International Teams

Coaching Canterbury and the Crusaders

In 1997, Deans became the coach of the Canterbury team for the NPC season. He had Steve Hansen, another future All Black coach, as his assistant. Deans' first season was very successful. Canterbury beat Auckland for the first time in 14 years and then won the NPC title.

The next year, he became the manager for the Canterbury Crusaders (now just called Crusaders) in the Super Rugby competition. The Crusaders won the title that year, beating the Auckland Blues in the final. They won again the following year with Deans as manager.

In 2000, Deans took over as the Crusaders' head coach when Wayne Smith became the All Blacks coach. He led the Crusaders to their third straight Super 12 title that year, defeating the Brumbies in Australia. He also continued to coach the Canterbury team in the NPC in 2000. They won the Ranfurly Shield from Waikato and held it until 2003. Canterbury hosted the NPC final in 2000, but Wellington won the game 34–29.

From 2001, Deans focused only on coaching the Crusaders. The 2001 Super 12 season was his least successful, with the Crusaders finishing tenth. However, the next season, the Crusaders went undefeated and won their fourth title overall. They were runners-up in 2003 and 2004. The Crusaders won their third title under Deans in 2005. They won their sixth title (the first of the expanded Super 14) in 2006, which was Deans' fourth win as coach. This made him the most successful coach in Super Rugby history at that time. In 2008, his last season with the Crusaders, he coached them to a seventh Super Rugby title. They beat the NSW Waratahs in the final.

A new stand at Jade Stadium (now AMI Stadium) was named the "Deans Stand" to honor the Deans family. After an earthquake in 2011, there were doubts if the stadium would be used again due to damage.

John Mitchell chose Deans as his assistant coach for the All Blacks in late 2001. Deans stayed in this role until Mitchell was replaced after the 2003 Rugby World Cup. With Mitchell and Deans, the All Blacks won the 2002 and 2003 Tri-Nations titles. They also won the Bledisloe Cup in 2003.

Coaching the Australian Wallabies

On December 14, 2007, it was announced that Robbie Deans would become the new coach for the Australian national team, known as the Wallabies. He signed a four-year contract, leading up to the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Deans was the first person from another country to coach Australia's national rugby team. He finished his contract with the Crusaders after the 2008 season.

Deans started well as Australia's coach, winning his first five test matches. This included a big win over the All Blacks, which was the largest win for the Wallabies against them in nine years. His first year, 2008, had mixed results. Australia lost three games to the All Blacks but won against the Springboks, the Rugby World Cup champions, both at home and away. Australia's win in South Africa was their first there in eight years. However, the Wallabies lost a third match to the Springboks by a large score of 53–8.

In 2010, Deans became the first Wallabies coach to win on the highveld of South Africa in 47 years. The team won 41–39 in Bloemfontein with a last-minute penalty goal. In 2011, the Wallabies had a mixed year. They lost to Samoa and the All Blacks, but they beat South Africa twice. In the 2011 Rugby World Cup, Australia surprisingly lost to Ireland in their pool. They then beat South Africa 11-9 but lost to the All Blacks 20-6 in the semi-final.

Towards the end of Deans' time as Australia's coach, some media and fans were not happy. He was sometimes called "Dingo" Deans. People were also frustrated with the team's playing style and their record against the All Blacks (3 wins from 15 games).

After the Wallabies lost 2–1 to the British & Irish Lions in their 2013 tour, Deans resigned from his role as head coach. During his six years, Deans coached the Wallabies 74 times, winning 43 games, losing 29, and drawing twice. He had a good record against the Springboks, winning 9 out of 14 games. He also led the Wallabies to win the Tri Nations championship in 2011 and finish third in the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

Coaching in Japan and Other Teams

On April 21, 2014, Deans was announced as the new head coach for the Panasonic Wild Knights in Japan. He took over from Norifumi Nakajima.

On June 23, 2017, it was announced that Deans would coach the Barbarians FC team. They played against New Zealand at Twickenham on November 4, 2017.

Notable Family Members

Robbie Deans has other famous rugby players in his family. His brother, Bruce Deans, was also an All Black and played for the Canterbury team. His great-uncle, Bob Deans, was also an All Black and captained Canterbury.

See also

In Spanish: Robbie Deans para niños