Tamati Ellison is set to lead the Māori All Blacks as head coach, returning to the team he played for between 2007 and 2008.
He told Tahu News that he was grateful to be returning to the side again.
“Taku tino waimārie ki te kāea i tēnei kapa, ki te hoki mai anō ki waenganui i te kapa Māori.”
Ellison (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Mutunga, Ngāti Whakaue) said his focus as head coach is on reconnecting players to their identity and grounding them in kaupapa Māori beyond the game.
“Ko taku tino tūmanako mō te kapa nei kia ū ki ngā kaupapa Māori, muri ake i tērā ko ngā kēmu.
“Muri ake i tērā, ahakoa haere ki hea, kia ū tonu ki ngā tikanga Māori,” he said.
Ellison began his professional rugby career with the Wellington Lions before playing Super Rugby for the Blues, Hurricanes and Highlanders.
From 2005 to 2009, he represented the All Blacks and the Māori All Blacks, and won Commonwealth Games gold with New Zealand Sevens.
Coaching career
Ellison’s coaching journey includes time in the Crusaders and All Blacks environments, where he worked in development and assistant coaching roles.
As head coach, Ellison said strong relationships across the rugby system will be key to preparation and selection.
“It’s about communication through Super Rugby, making sure players are as fit and prepared as possible when it comes time to select,” he said.
His coaching philosophy is shaped by his own journey in the game and his connection to his whānau and heritage.
Whakapapa and legacy
The Ellison family of Ōtākou is well known in rugby, with his tipuna koroua, Thomas Ellison, recognised as the first captain of New Zealand’s first official overseas touring team organised by the New Zealand Rugby Football Union in 1893.
Ellison said understanding his whakapapa has been central to his identity.
“I’m really lucky to learn our whānau stories. I think that’s an important part, to know who you are.
“Ahakoa ngā tāngata rongonui i taku whānau, I think regardless, to be able to know who you are is important”
He added that staying connected to home helps keep him grounded in the professional rugby environment.
“I live in te ao whutupōro, so it’s a wee bit of a bubble.
“Consciously, if I’m in the city, like last year when the All Blacks played in Dunedin, I went out to Tamatea. The real benefit for me is being able to know where home is,” he said.
With the first match of the year fast approaching, the Māori All Blacks squad has yet to be named. The team is set to face Japan in June.
