Opinion
The Rugby Championship
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Hamish Bidwell
@HamishBidwell
Hamish has been an opinion and sports writer for over 20 years in New Zealand, featuring on RNZ, New Zealand Herald, Stuff.co.nz, and RugbyPass.
222 Articles
New Zealand needs a reliable No.10 like Harry Plummer
So I’m encouraged that the All Blacks are having a look at Plummer. How much he plays - if ever - remains to be seen.
Hamish Bidwell
07 Aug 2024, 1:15
Opinion
Scott Robertson is in rare company with latest ringing endorsement
Mains basically said new All Blacks coach Scott Robertson is exceptional, that the players are already emotionally invested in the…
Hamish Bidwell
31 Jul 2024, 18:11
Opinion
Ardie Savea's Moana move solves one problem and opens another
It will be nice to see him play for Moana Pasifika next year - albeit on All Blacks-managed minutes - but then he’s back off to …
Hamish Bidwell
23 Jul 2024, 20:20
Opinion
All Blacks forgetting the play calls against England doesn't inspire confidence
I can’t say the performances of the All Blacks, nor the utterances of their attack coach Leon MacDonald, have filled me with eno…
Hamish Bidwell
16 Jul 2024, 23:30
Opinion
New Zealand's expectations of the All Blacks are too high
I think the All Blacks should beat England’s rugby team by 20 points, in Auckland on Saturday night. Just as I thought they woul…
Hamish Bidwell
10 Jul 2024, 16:50
Opinion
England is nice but the Springboks will be a true test of the All Blacks' mettle
It’s not until the All Blacks meet the Springboks in South Africa in September that we’ll be able to judge if this coaching gr…
Hamish Bidwell
04 Jul 2024, 20:30
Opinion
Scott Barrett was the safe, obvious choice as All Blacks captain
We’re so short of locks that there ought not be any questions about his place in the side, as there always was with Sam Cane. Ba…
Hamish Bidwell
30 Jun 2024, 17:46
Opinion
France snubbing New Zealand tour shows the difference in priorities
But that doesn’t diminish the fact that putting All Black interests over and above every other facet of rugby has not served New…
Hamish Bidwell
12 Jun 2024, 17:52
Opinion
What happened to Penney was a breach of trust
The decline of trust in the media won’t have been arrested by the recent ambushing and vilification of Crusaders coach Rob Penne…
Hamish Bidwell
06 Jun 2024, 0:55
Opinion
The game in this country is about more than just the All Blacks
Either way, if the NZR chief executive can’t rally the provincial delegates, then what place does he have running the outfit at …
Hamish Bidwell
30 May 2024, 0:47
Opinion
Sam Cane was unfairly cast in Richie McCaw's shadow for too long
Sam Cane is someone with a lot to offer New Zealand, well beyond the realm of rugby.
Hamish Bidwell
21 May 2024, 0:05
Opinion
Rest and rotations for All Blacks isn't staving off injuries
The onus is on NZR to ensure Super Rugby Pacific is a competition in which All Blacks are ever-present and the ball is in play for…
Hamish Bidwell
07 May 2024, 19:13
Opinion
Australians are quite right to be complaining about Samipeni Finau
If Samipeni Finau is to be a legitimate weapon in the Chiefs’ and All Blacks’ arsenal, then the timing is critical.
Hamish Bidwell
29 Apr 2024, 22:00
Opinion
The World Club Cup can't come soon enough
My only slight dismay at news that a World Club Cup might happen, is having to wait until 2028 to see it.
Hamish Bidwell
09 Apr 2024, 17:43
Opinion
The Wallabies are now immeasurably better
Mike Cron will be more than just an assistant to Joe Schmidt and a technical resource for the Wallabies' players.
Hamish Bidwell
03 Apr 2024, 19:34
Opinion
Rob Penney wasn't given much without Whitelock and Mo'unga
I won’t go as far as saying the Crusaders set Penney up to fail in the short term, but I’m not sure he inherited the calibre o…
Hamish Bidwell
28 Mar 2024, 0:14
Opinion
The Crusaders start to the season shows their loss is the All Blacks gain
So, as I watched the Crusaders slump to a third-straight defeat, to start the Super Rugby Pacific season, I couldn’t help but th…
Hamish Bidwell
13 Mar 2024, 17:29
Opinion
Do the Hurricanes Poua want our support or not
The Hurricanes Poua haka, which Lee says will not be performed again, is divisive and insulting. It speaks of a level of privilege…
Hamish Bidwell
05 Mar 2024, 20:26
Opinion
The predictability problem with Super Rugby Pacific
I don’t want to see the Chiefs or Crusaders weakened but, for Super Rugby Pacific to endure, things have to be done to strengthe…
Hamish Bidwell
28 Feb 2024, 14:44
Opinion
Don't be fearful of life without Whitelock, Retallick or Smith
I do have reservations about the depth of some of our Super Rugby Pacific squads, but not in our ability to still find enough capa…
Hamish Bidwell
20 Feb 2024, 21:54
