Before he was in the dugout watching Richie McCaw lift the 2011 Rugby World Cup, forwards coach Mike Cron had spent years working as a police detective. The Cantabrian, who is now an assistant to Joe Schmidt with the Wallabies, has had an unusual path to the coach he is today.
From player-coaching the New Zealand Colts team in the 1970s, to looking after an amateur team in Canada, and then a Japanese university side. He went on to be part of the All Blacks' backroom staff from 2004 to 2019, involved in two World Cup wins. He then went on to be part of the Black Ferns' staff when they won the 2021 World Cup.
He has become renowned for his work on scrum safety - for which he was made Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2015. He talks to Kathryn about his life and career and his new memoir Coach.
Photo: Supplied / PHOTOSPORT
