DSPN - RUGBY

Hurricanes preseason, Super Rugby Pacific playoffs, team culture and player development all come under the microscope as former All Black and current Canes assistant coach Cory Jane joins Martin Devlin on the DSPN.

Cory breaks down how the Hurricanes have approached their summer, why connection and belonging inside the group matters, and how that culture held firm even when results weren’t coming.

We talk about accountability within the squad, how players take ownership, and why creating a safe environment leads to better performance.

There’s also a deep dive into Super Rugby realities. Cory explains why playoff rugby is a different beast, what mistakes get punished harder, and what Hurricanes need to do differently if they want to win the competition.

We finish with a detailed look at high-ball contests, law interpretations, refereeing trends, and why fans may see far more kicking this season.

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Coming home is one thing. Coming home after nearly a decade in Europe is something else entirely.

This week on DSPN, Martin sits down with Pita Ahki to talk about his long stint overseas, the grind of French rugby, and what it really takes to survive and thrive in a relentless competition. From winning titles in France to learning how to look after his body and mind over a ten month season, Pita opens up about how much the experience shaped him both as a player and as a person.

Now back in New Zealand and settling into life with the Blues, Pita reflects on returning home, reconnecting with family, and the challenge of earning his spot in a talented midfield. There’s also chat about playing for Tonga, the inspiration of veterans still going strong, and why overseas rugby can be such a powerful growth experience for Kiwi players.

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This one cuts through the noise.

Tony Brown finally speaks, and in doing so answers just about every question New Zealand rugby fans have been asking for months. From his current commitment to South Africa, to his openness about wanting the All Blacks job, this was honesty you don’t often hear from someone in his position.

We react to Tony’s interview with Mike Hosking on Newstalk ZB, unpack what it says about the All Blacks coaching process, and ask why NZ Rugby keeps finding itself on the back foot when it comes to controlling the narrative.

There’s praise where it’s deserved, frustration where it’s earned, and plenty of curiosity about how things might have played out differently.

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Well, this one’s a proper rabbit hole. Scott Robertson is gone, the dust still hasn’t settled, and New Zealand Rugby feels more confused than confident right now.

On this episode of DSPN's Rugby Roundtable, we unpack what’s really happened since the decision dropped. From the timeline around the All Blacks coaching review, to the growing assumption that Jamie Joseph is next cab off the rank, and the big unanswered question around Tony Brown, nothing feels straightforward.

We also dig into the rumours, the leaks, and why the longer New Zealand Rugby stays quiet, the louder the speculation gets.

There’s empathy for Razor as a person, frustration with the process, and a real concern about public trust, perception, and whether this reset actually fixes anything.

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It’s been a bruising few weeks for everyone connected to the All Blacks, and today on DSPN, we’re not sugar-coating it.

Martin opens with a sermon from the mountaintop, laying out a simple but serious wishlist for what comes next in New Zealand rugby. No corporate buzzwords, no fluffy slogans. Just three survival words that matter right now: experience, unity, and stability.

We dig into why international rugby eats “vibes” for breakfast, why learning on the job doesn’t cut it at this level, and why New Zealand Rugby needs to lean on the people who’ve actually been there, won it, and felt the full weight of World Cup pressure. There’s also a clear message about egos, alignment, and the reality that everything from here to the next World Cup will be under a microscope.

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What actually happens when a top coaching job starts to unravel? And how much warning do you really get?

Martin Devlin sits down with former Wales and Fiji coach Wayne Pivac for a wide-ranging and brutally honest conversation about elite rugby, leadership, and what life looks like after the biggest job of your career ends.

Wayne reflects on his journey through international coaching, the realities of national team pressure, losing the dressing room, and why consistency is the hardest thing to achieve in test rugby. The chat also dives into the All Blacks, the gap to South Africa, player power, overseas eligibility, and what a new coach actually needs to fix when they walk through the door.

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Five days on from Scott Robertson’s removal, and the questions are only getting louder.

On this episode of DSPN, we get stuck into what’s actually happened behind closed doors at the All Blacks, why the silence from Razor doesn’t sit right, and why fans deserve more than a PR statement. This isn’t about witch hunts or pitchforks. It’s about accountability, transparency, and respect for the jersey.

We dive into a massive mailbag, tackling everything from player unrest and leadership failures, to culture, performance, captaincy, and what success even looks like from here. Was this a rugby decision or a player-driven one? Was the experiment rushed? And what does the next coach walk into?

It’s honest, uncomfortable at times, and exactly the conversation a lot of supporters have been waiting for.

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The All Blacks coaching bombshell is still reverberating, and we’re not done talking about it. With Scott Robertson out mid-cycle, questions around timing, process, player feedback and leadership are everywhere.

Tony Johnson joins us to unpack what really drove the decision, why New Zealand Rugby felt they had no choice but to act now, and how much weight was given to performance versus trajectory. We dig into the player power debate, the role of feedback from senior players, and whether that narrative does justice to the review process.

There’s also a hard look at what comes next. Potential coaching combinations, the importance of international experience, what this means for the current playing group and whether the All Blacks have enough time to reset before a brutally demanding year.

We close with a heartfelt tribute to former All Black Grant Batty, who passed away on Saturday, reflecting on his impact, personality and legacy.

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We didn’t expect to be talking about this in January, but here we are. Scott Robertson is out as All Blacks coach, and the shockwaves are still rippling through world rugby.

On this episode of DSPN, Marty goes global, checking in with South Africa, the UK, and Australia to unpack how this decision landed and what it means next. From Brenden Nel’s surprise in Pretoria, to Chris Jones’ blunt assessment from the Northern Hemisphere, and Christy Doran’s warning signs from across the ditch, the reaction is unanimous. This is seismic.

We dig into player power, whether New Zealand Rugby blinked too early, and the big question everyone’s asking. Is this actually a change for the better? With Jamie Joseph, Tony Brown, and other names circling, the pressure is already on whoever steps in next, with a South African tour and a World Cup cycle ticking away.

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This is one of the biggest days in New Zealand rugby history. Scott Robertson is no longer the All Blacks head coach, and for the first time ever, NZ Rugby has made the call to remove a coach mid-cycle.

We go live as the news breaks, unpacking the statements from David Kirk and Scott Robertson, the review process, and why this decision was made now. There’s empathy first, because Razor is a good man who’s just lost his dream job in the harshest way possible. But there’s also honesty about performance, player power, and why this situation became untenable.

Martin Devlin, producer Lachlan Waugh, and broadcaster Mark Watson dig into what went wrong, what it says about NZ Rugby’s new leadership, and where the All Blacks go next. From Jamie Joseph and Tony Brown to Wayne Smith, Joe Schmidt, and beyond, this is the full, unfiltered DSPN reaction to a seismic moment in the game.

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