Steve Hansen facts for kids
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Hansen in 2020
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| Birth name | Stephen William Hansen | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 7 May 1959 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Mosgiel, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Taieri High School Christchurch Boys' High School |
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| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sir Stephen William Hansen is a famous New Zealand rugby union coach and former player. He was born on May 7, 1959. He is also the father of Whitney Hansen, who is an assistant coach for the Black Ferns.
Sir Steve was the head coach of the New Zealand national team, known as the All Blacks, from 2012 to 2019. During his time, the All Blacks won the 2015 Rugby World Cup, which is a huge achievement in rugby. He stepped down from his role after the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
He also has an interest in horse racing and is part owner of Nature Strip, a horse that won a big race called The Everest in 2021.
Contents
Early Life and Playing Days
Steve Hansen grew up in Mosgiel, New Zealand. His parents, Desmond and Lauriss Hansen, were dairy farmers. He went to Outram Primary School, The Taieri High School, and Christchurch Boys' High School.
Before becoming a coach, Hansen spent six years working for the New Zealand Police. He also played rugby as a centre. He played for the Canterbury team 21 times in top-level games.
Coaching Journey
Steve Hansen started his coaching career with the Canterbury provincial rugby team. He coached them from 1996 to 2001. During this time, Canterbury won the National Provincial Championship twice, in 1997 and 2001. From 1999 to 2001, he was also an assistant coach for the Canterbury Crusaders, a professional rugby team.
Coaching Wales
In 2002, Hansen moved to coach the Wales national team. He started as a forwards coach, but soon became the head coach. His first game in charge was a close 37–33 loss to France.
The next year, Wales had a tough time, losing every match in the 2003 Six Nations Championship. They also had a streak of 10 straight losses in Test matches. However, things started to look up at the 2003 Rugby World Cup. Wales played well against New Zealand and had a strong quarter-final match against England. After the World Cup, Hansen decided to step down as Wales coach at the end of the 2004 Six Nations Championship.
Back to New Zealand
In 2004, Hansen returned to New Zealand and became an assistant coach for the All Blacks, working under head coach Graham Henry.
Winning the 2011 Rugby World Cup
As an assistant coach, Hansen helped Graham Henry lead the All Blacks to victory in the World Cup final against France. This was a huge moment for New Zealand rugby, as it ended a 24-year wait for the All Blacks to win the World Cup again. After this success, Graham Henry's contract ended, and Steve Hansen was officially named the new head coach of the All Blacks on December 15, 2011.
All Blacks Head Coach: 2012-2019
As head coach, Hansen led the All Blacks to many impressive victories and titles.
2012: A Strong Start
In his first year as head coach, the All Blacks won all three games against Ireland in their 2012 tour. They even beat Ireland by a record score of 60–0 in one match. The All Blacks also kept the Bledisloe Cup for the tenth year in a row. Their only loss in 2012 was against England.
For his great coaching, Hansen was named IRB Coach of the Year for 2012. He also received an honor called Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to rugby.
2013: Undefeated Year
The All Blacks continued their winning ways in 2013. They won the 2013 Rugby Championship and kept the Bledisloe Cup. Amazingly, they won all 14 of their matches that year, becoming the first team in the professional era to do so. Hansen was named IRB Coach of the Year for the second year in a row.
2014: Another Championship
In 2014, the All Blacks won their third straight Rugby Championship title. They had a tough match against South Africa, losing 27–25, and drew with Australia. Despite this, they still won the championship. Hansen led the team to more wins on their European tour and was again named World Rugby Coach of the Year.
2015: World Cup Champions Again
The All Blacks traveled to Samoa for their first official Test match there, winning 25–16. In a shorter Rugby Championship, the All Blacks didn't win the title this time, losing to Australia in the final match.
However, the main goal was the 2015 Rugby World Cup. Hansen guided the All Blacks through the pool stage with wins over Argentina, Namibia, Georgia, and Tonga. They then beat France in the quarter-final and South Africa in the semi-final. In the final, they faced Australia and won 34–17. This made them the first team ever to win the Webb Ellis Cup (the World Cup trophy) twice in a row! It was also their first World Cup win outside New Zealand.
2016: Rebuilding and Records
After the 2015 World Cup, several key All Blacks players retired. Hansen brought in new, younger players for the 2016 season. Despite these changes, the All Blacks swept their three-match series against Wales.
In July, Hansen signed on to coach the All Blacks until the end of the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
The All Blacks then won their fourth 2016 Rugby Championship title in five years, winning all six of their games. They also set a new world record for a Tier One team with 18 consecutive victories. This amazing run ended when Ireland beat them in Chicago. However, the All Blacks bounced back with three more wins on their European tour.
2017: Lions Series and More Success
In 2017, the All Blacks played a highly anticipated series against the British & Irish Lions. New Zealand won the first test, but the Lions won the second, which was the All Blacks' first home loss since 2009. The final test ended in a 15–15 draw, meaning the series was tied for the first time ever against New Zealand.
The All Blacks then had a fantastic 2017 Rugby Championship, winning all six of their matches and securing their fifth championship title. They even achieved a historic 57–0 victory over South Africa, their largest ever win against them.
2018: Another Championship Title
In 2018, France toured New Zealand. Hansen led his team to a 3–0 series win, keeping the Dave Gallaher Trophy.
The All Blacks won their sixth 2018 Rugby Championship title, winning five of their six games. Their only loss was a close 34–36 defeat to South Africa. Later in the year, they had wins over Japan and England, but lost to Ireland in Dublin.
2019: Final World Cup Campaign
In 2019, the All Blacks finished third in the 2019 Rugby Championship. They had a draw against South Africa and a loss to Australia, but still managed to win the Bledisloe Cup back from Australia.
At the 2019 Rugby World Cup, New Zealand won their pool, even beating South Africa. However, they were defeated by England in the semi-final. The All Blacks then went on to beat Wales in the bronze medal match, finishing third in the tournament. This was Steve Hansen's last tournament as head coach.
2023: A Helping Hand
In 2023, it was announced that Steve Hansen would briefly help the Wallabies coach, Eddie Jones, for a week before the 2023 Rugby World Cup. He assisted them for their final warm-up match against France.
Coaching Achievements
Steve Hansen has an impressive record as a coach.
- Wales (2002–2004):
- Played: 30
- Won: 10
- Drawn: 0
- Lost: 20
- Win %: 33.33%
- New Zealand (2012–2019):
- Played: 107
- Won: 93
- Drawn: 4
- Lost: 10
- Win %: 86.92%
Honours and Awards
Steve Hansen has won many awards and titles throughout his coaching career.
- With New Zealand (as Head Coach):
- Rugby World Cup: Winners in 2015, Third place in 2019
- The Rugby Championship: Winners in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018
- Bledisloe Cup: Winners in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
- Dave Gallaher Trophy: Winners in 2013 (twice), 2016, 2017, 2018
- Freedom Cup: Winners in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
- Killik Cup: Winners in 2017
- Hillary Shield: Winners in 2013, 2014 (twice), 2018
- British & Irish Lions series: Shared title in 2017 (drawn series)
- World Rugby Coach of the Year: Winner in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016
- World Rugby Team of the Year (New Zealand): Winners in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
- Laureus World Team of the Year (New Zealand): Winners in 2016
- With New Zealand (as Assistant Coach):
- World Rugby Team of the Year (New Zealand): Winners in 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011
- Rugby World Cup: Winners in 2011
- Tri Nations: Winners in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010
- Bledisloe Cup: Winners in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
- Freedom Cup: Winners in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011
- Dave Gallaher Trophy: Winners in 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009
- Hillary Shield: Winners in 2008, 2009, 2010
- British & Irish Lions series: Winners in 2005
- Grand Slam tour: Winners in 2005, 2008, 2010
- With Canterbury:
- ITM Cup: Winners in 1997, 2001
- With Crusaders (as Assistant Coach):
- Super 12: Winners in 1999, 2000
- With Barbarians:
- Killik Cup: Winners in 2013 (against Fiji)
See also
In Spanish: Steve Hansen para niños
- High School Old Boys RFC
