The appointment of Janine Southby as Silver Ferns coach is another appointment of a wise southern sporting brain to a national coaching role. Mike Hesson is another, while All Black coach Steve Hansen has southern links. Sports editor Steve Hepburn looks at some top coaches from the South who have had some success and also asks whether the South does do better than other regions in producing excellent coaches.
Tom Ellison
Rugby
The first New Zealand captain in 1893, proposed the colours of the national side be black with a silver fern, author of the The art of rugby football, a coaching manual, published in 1902.
Originator, in 1892, of the wing forward system of play that continued until the 1930s and under which New Zealand had some of its greatest successes.
Jimmy Duncan
Rugby
Played in the country's first test.
The saddler then turned his hand to off-the-field matters.
Coached the 1905-06 Originals although many doubted how much involvement he had with the team.
Kept coaching teams at his old school, Otago Boys' High School, and also refereed a test match.
Vic Cavanagh jun
Rugby
Probably the greatest rugby coach never to coach the All Blacks.
Helped mastermind Otago's great Ranfurly Shield dominance of the late 1940s.
Was somehow not chosen to coach the national team on the 1949 tour of South Africa, although there are doubts he wanted to go.
Rusty Robertson
Rowing
Robertson was not a great rower but the man from Oamaru was a heck of a coach. Helped establish rowing in Oamaru and then led the Oamaru four to Commonwealth Games glory in 1962 in Perth.
New Zealand's national coach from 1967 to 1976.
Highlight was a gold in the eight in Munich.
Moved to Australia after being dumped by New Zealand following the 1976 Olympics.
Lois Muir
Netball
Played basketball and netball for the nation and then took on the head coaching mantle for the New Zealand netball team in 1974.
Stayed at the helm for 15 seasons with two World Championship titles in that time.
Continues to follow the team closely and still involved in the sport.
Glenn Turner
Cricket
Turner was a great player and had a fine career with the bat.
Coached a strong New Zealand team in the 1980s which won its first series in Australia.
A cricketing brain which could not be equalled and came back to coach the New Zealand side again in 1995.
Also coached Otago.
Eric Watson
Rugby
A good cricketer, who played for Otago for many years, Watson - who played just one game of rugby for Otago - started coaching rugby at his club Zingari-Richmond and he then coached Otago for nine years.
Coached New Zealand Juniors to an upset win over the All Blacks in 1973.
Steered the All Blacks to a great win over Wales in 1980 and then retired.
Warren Lees
Cricket
Lees was a good enough wicketkeeper to have played 21 tests for New Zealand.
Then coached the New Zealand side from 1990-93. Was coach of the 1992 team which captured the hearts of the nation in the 1992 World Cup.
Had a short stint coaching the New Zealand women's team a couple of seasons ago.
Duncan Laing
Swimming
For many, many years Laing, who was also a handy rugby coach, taught people to swim at Moana Pool.
He also helped teach those who aspired to climb up the swimming tree, with one of those being Danyon Loader.
Loader went on to win two golds at the Atlanta Olympics, the peak of Laing's career.
Laurie Mains
Rugby
Mains played for the All Blacks and then started coaching his club side, Southern.
Then moved on to Otago, climaxing in Otago winning the national title in 1991.
Coached the All Blacks to within a whisker of winning the World Cup in 1995.
