Ross Filipo named Māori All Blacks Head Coach and management group confirmed

New Zealand Rugby (NZR) has announced the Māori All Blacks coaching and management group ahead of their return to the international stage, where they will play two matches against the Japan XV on Saturday 29 June and Saturday 6 July, in Japan. 

Chiefs Assistant Coach Ross Filipo (Muaūpoko) has been named as Head Coach, he will be joined by Roger Randle (Ngāti Awa) and Greg Feek (Ngāti Kahungunu) as Assistant Coaches. 

Filipo played for the Māori All Blacks (formerly New Zealand Māori) in 2005 when they beat the British and Irish Lions for the first time, before he earned a surprise call-up to the All Blacks two years later.

Following his playing career, Filipo coached in Japan before returning home to New Zealand in 2019 to take on coaching opportunities with Waikato Rugby Union. In 2021, he was appointed Waikato Head Coach of the Bunnings National Provincial Championship (NPC) team and led them to their third Premiership title in the same year.

“When I received the news that I was successful, I was excited about the opportunity to again add to the legacy of the Māori All Blacks but in a coaching capacity. I understand there is a huge responsibility attached to this role and will do my absolute best to ensure our traditions are protected and preserved. I also hope to inspire young Māori with our on-field performances,” said Filipo.  

Assistant Coach Roger Randle currently works closely alongside Filipo as Chiefs Assistant Coach with coaching experience spanning over a decade, holding positions for Waikato and five years on Māori All Blacks campaigns. Feek has a wealth of coaching experience which includes a nine-year stint with Ireland. Most recently, Feek finished up as All Blacks Scrum Coach and returned home to the Blues in 2023.  

“Working alongside two experienced assistants is going to be awesome for my personal growth and development. I want to ensure I provide them with a programme that enables them to thrive as coaches, while I learn as much as I can from them,” Filipo said.  

New Zealand Māori Rugby Board Chair, Professor Dame Farah Palmer (Ngāti Maniapoto, Waikato) said she is pleased to see the quality and calibre of people involved.  

“I want to congratulate each individual and their whānau on their achievement. I also want to congratulate Ross on his Head Coach appointment and I’m looking forward to seeing how he will set the team up for success in Japan. 

“One of our pillars in the New Zealand Māori Rugby Strategy is Puawaitanga - enhancing Māori through rugby. Working on the Māori All Blacks tour will be another great opportunity to showcase Māori rugby and Te Ao Māori on the global stage,” Palmer said. 

The Māori All Blacks management group consists of eight members who have been rewarded for their work in senior teams and in DHL Super Rugby Pacific roles. 

Brad Te Haara (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Rangi) was appointed Māori All Blacks Team Manager and proudly hails from Northland. He brings plenty of experience to his role as current men’s High Performance Manager and Bunnings NPC Team Manager for his region.

Dr. Rawiri Durie (Ngāti Kawhata/Rāngitane) enters his tenth campaign with the Māori All Blacks as Team Doctor, Hurricanes Jayson Ross (Ngāti Kahungunu) joins in his ninth as Performance Analyst, Christos Argus in his fourth as Strength & Conditioning Coach (Chiefs) and Thomas Wardhaugh (Highlanders) as Physiotherapist.

More details around these two matches, including match tickets, broadcast details, and the playing squad will be announced later. 

2024 Māori All Blacks Management:

Head Coach: Ross Filipo (Muaūpoko)

Assistant Coach: Roger Randle (Ngāti Awa) 

Assistant Coach: Greg Feek (Ngāti Kahungunu)

Team Manager: Brad Te Haara (Ngāpuhi/Ngāti Rangi)

Strength & Conditioning Coach: Christos Argus

Performance Analyst: Jayson Ross (Ngāti Kahungunu)

Physiotherapist: Thomas Wardhaugh 

Team Doctor: Dr. Rawiri Durie (Ngāti Kawhata/Rangitāne)

Campaign Manager: Ben Fisher

Team Administrator: Ezra Iupeli 

Commercial Manager: Jordyn Steel (Ngāti Hei) 

Media Manager: Savannah Tafau-Levy

Digital Media Manager: Callum Smith

Kaumatua: Luke Crawford (Ngāti Porou, Tūwharetoa)

The Māori All Blacks two-match series v Japan XV:

Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium, Japan

Saturday, June 29, 7.00pm kick-off local time (10.00pm NZT)

Toyoto Stadium, Japan

Saturday, July 6, 6.00pm kick-off local time (9.00pm NZT)

Ko Ross Filipo hei Kaiako Matua o te Kapa Ōpango Māori, kua whakatauria hoki te rōpu whakahaere

Kua whakatauria e Whutupōro Aotearoa (NZR) i ngā Kaiako me te rōpu whakahaere o te Kapa Ōpango Māori i mua i ngā tukinga e rua ki te tīma Hapanihi XV hei te Hatarei te 29 o Hune me te Hatarei te 6 o Hurae, kei te whenua o Hapāni.

Kua whakaingoatia a Ross Filipo (Muāupoko), te Kaiako tuarua a ngā Chiefs, hei Kaiako matua mā ngā Ōpango Māori, ko Roger Randle (Ngāti Awa) rāua ko Greg Feek (Ngāti Kahungunu) hei Kaiako tuarua.

He kaitākaro tawhito a Filipo o te kapa Ōpango Māori (ko Aotearoa Māori i aua rā). I taua wā, koira te wā tuatahi i wikitoria te kapa nei ki ngā tīma o Piritania me ngā Raiona no Airani i te tau 2005, rua tau i mua i tana whakaingoatanga ohorere ki te Kapa Ōpango.

Ka mutu tana tākaro whatupōro, ka Whakaako a Filipo ki Hapāni. Ka hoki mai ki Aotearoa i te tau 2019 kia whai wāhi atu ki ngā mahi Whakaako mo te uniana Whutupōro o Waikato. I te tau 2021 ka noho ko ia te Kaiako Matua mo te tīma o Waikato i te Whakataetae a Rohe o te Motu o Bunnings (NPC). I taua tau hoki, i arahina te tīma e FIlipo kia kapongia te taitara o ngā toa o te taumata Pirimia mo te wā tuatoru.

“Ka hīkaka katoa ahau i taku rongo kōrero kua riro ahau i te tūranga natemea he huarahi tino angitū māku kia whai wāhi anō ahau ki te whakakaha i ngā painga o ngā Ōpango Māori engari i tēnei wā, hei Kaiako kē. E matua mōhio ana ahau i ngā kawenga o te tūnga nei, na tērā ka whakapau kaha ahau kia mau tonu ki ngā kawa, kia tiakina hoki a mātau tikanga. He hiahia anō nāku kia whakaawetia ngā rangatahi Māori e ngā mahi kei te papatākaro,” te kī a Filipo.

Kua roa a Roger Randle rāua ko Filipo e mahi ngātahi ana me te tīma Chiefs. Neke atu i te 10 tau i a e mahi ana hei Kaiwhakaako i Waikato, ā, rima tau hoki i ngā kaupapa o ngā Ōpango Māori. Inā te mātotoru o ngā mātauranga whutupōro a Feek, ko tana iwa tau e mahi ana ki te tīma o Airani tērā, me āna mahi hei Kaiako Kakari mo te Kapa Ōpango, me ngā mahi Whakaako i ngā Blues i te 2023.

“Ko te tūpono ka whanake ngātahi mātau ko ēnei Kaiako Tuarua. Ka whakatūturu ahau i tētahi rautaki kia tipu mātoro mātau,” te kī a Filipo.

Ko te kī a te Tiamana o Whutupōro Māori, a Ahorangi Farah Palmer (Ngāti Maniapoto, Waikato) ko te mihi ki te kounga o rātau mā kua whai tūranga.

Ko tāna, “Ka mihi ki a ia tangata me o rātau whānau. Ka mihi hoki ki a Ross i tōna tūnga Kaiako Matua, ā, kei te hiamo katoa ahau ki te kite i ōna whakaritenga kia tino eke te tīma kei Hapāni.”

“Ko tētahi o ngā pou e whā o te rautaki Whutupōro Māori ko te Puawaitanga - kia puawai a Ngai Māori i te whutupōro. Mā ēnei whakataetae a-ao nei e whakatairanga i te whutupōro Māori me Te Ao Māori kia puta ki te ao,” te kī a Palmer.

Tokowaru ngā mema o te rōpu whakahaere o ngā Ōpango Māori kua whakanuia mo a rātau mahi kei ngā kapa matua me ngā tūnga i te whakataetae matua, arā DHL Whutupōro Te Moana nui a Kiwa.

Kua whakaingoatia a Brad Te Haara (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Rangi) hei Kaiwhakahaere Tīma mo ngā Ōpango Māori, no te Taitokerau ia. He mātanga whutupōro tēnei ka mauria mai i ōna mātauranga no tana tūnga Kaiwhakahaere Whakatutukitanga Kaitākaro mo te uniana o te Taitokerau, me te Kaiwhakahaere tīma mo te Taitokerau i te Whakataetae a Rohe o te Motu o Bunnings (NPC).

Koia nei te wā tuangahuru a Dr. Rawiri Durie (Ngāti Kawhata/Rāngitane) e noho ana hei Tākuta mo te tīma, ka piri atu ko Jayson Ross (Ngāti Kahungunu) mai i ngā  Hurricanes i tōna wā tuaiwa hei Kaitātari Whakatutukitanga, ko Christos Argus i tōna tau tuawhā hei Kaiako Whakapakari (Chiefs) rātau ko Thomas Wardhaugh (Highlanders) hei Kairomiromi.

A ko ake nei ka puta te roanga o ngā kōrero e pā ana ki te hoko tīkiti mo ngā kēmu e rua nei, ngā whakaritenga pāoho, me te rārangi ingoa o ngā kaitākaro.

2024 Kaiwhakahaere Ōpango Māori:  

Kaiako Matua: Ross Filipo (Muaūpoko)

Kaiako Tuarua: Roger Randle (Ngāti Awa)

Kaiako Tuarua: Greg Feek (Ngāti Kahungunu)

Kaiwhakahaere Tīma: Brad Te Haara (Ngāpuhi/Ngāti Rangi)

Kaiwhakahaere Whakapakari: Christos Argus

Kaitātari Whakatutukitanga: Jayson Ross (Ngāti Kahungunu)

Kairomiromi: Thomas Wardhaugh

Tākuta: Dr. Rawiri Durie (Ngāti Kawhata/Rangitāne)

Kaiwhakahaere Kaupapa: Ben Fisher

Kaiarahi Mahi Whakahaere: Ezra Iupeli

Kaiarumoni: Jordyn Steel (Ngāti Hei)

Kaiwhakahaere Hunga Pāpāoho: Savannah Tafau-Levy

Kaiwhakahaere Konae Ipurangi: Callum Smith

Kaumatua: Luke Crawford (Ngāti Porou, Tūwharetoa)

Te Tukinga Rua o te kapa Ōpango Māori ki Hapāni XV:

Te Papa Whutupōro o Chichibunomiya, Hapāni

Hatarei, Hune 29, Ka timata i te 7.00 i te pō (10.00 i te pō NZT)

Te Papa Whutupōro o Toyoto, Hapāni

Hatarei, Hurae 6, Ka timata i te 6.00 i te pō (9.00 i te pō NZT)