Ferris replaces Woodward

A strong reputation for developing and managing local talent may have tipped the scales toward Adriaan Ferris, who has been appointed to coach the Northland ITM Cup team for 2011.
It's taken longer than expected to find Bryce Woodward's successor but in plumping for Ferris, the Northland Rugby Union has taken on a relative newcomer to coaching - but one with a proven track record and high hopes of further success.
"I'd like to think I'll be here for a good few years and be able to develop a team that can get up to the first division, but also compete well in that division," he said.
The 37-year-old Ferris started coaching only in 2005, when he took the reins at Wellsford, and perhaps it is his relative youth that has earned a reputation as a coach popular with the players.
"I suppose I'm fairly young in age, but I have been coaching for a while now and I've already earned the highest qualification (IRB Grade 4) available in New Zealand and gathered good experience at club and representative level," he said.
The chairman of the selection committee John Campbell said the selection process had taken longer than expected, but having Woodward's continued involvement - as a mentor to the successful coach - had made the selection process more flexible.
"Having Bryce available to act as a mentor allowed us to really take more of risk than perhaps we would have ... most of the applicants we shortlisted were young up and coming coaches, so at the end of the day we thought if they are all fairly equal, we might as well go with the local coach," he said.
Working closely with Woodward won't be a problem for Ferris. He has coached the Northland Development team under Woodward for the past two seasons and already has developed a working relationship.
"I'm pretty excited about having Bryce around as a mentor - he's coached at a high level for a long time and I'll be able to tap into that knowledge and, while I'm confident in my own ability, I'm sure Bryce will be able to steer me in the right direction - if need be," he said.
Educated at St Stephens, Ferris emerged as a five-eighth of note playing for Glenfield.
He had the misfortune to play for North Harbour at the same time as Walter Little and Frank Bunce, meaning little regular time in the senior squad at provincial level.
He commuted to Northland to play for Milton Going's Mid-Northern team, and was selected for the Northland development squad - which led him to play for Wellsford for his final season in 2004.
"One of the players there told me he thought I'd make a good coach - I'd always planned to get into coaching but not that soon. But I decided to act on the opportunity and coached them for three years," he said.
"That brought its own challenges - being close to the players meant I had to learn to draw the line and that was hard, but I got there in the end," he said.
He then was recruited by Marist, before Northland hired him as the development coach.
Old Boys' senior coach Pat Stevens has worked closely with Ferris over the past two years and said the new Taniwha coach is an excellent communicator.
"You always know where you stand with him - he's up front and he listens to what you have to say," Stevens said.
That was a feature that allowed him to get on very well with his players.
"I've learned a hell of a lot from him, he is very forward thinking and quite innovative in his coaching, he's played up here, so he knows the Northland style of play," he said.
Under his tutelage the Northland development team has made two semifinals in a row.
"We went from being a bit of a joke in the development competition to making the semifinal last year - and feeling pretty grateful about it - to this a year where we were disappointed we didn't make the final," he said.
Ferris comes from sound rugby coaching stock.
His father Chas was a former coach of North Harbour and a Maori All Black coach - that got Adriaan interested in coaching. Two of his brothers are also top coaches, with Hayden taking over at Wellsford after Adriaan switched to Marist. Older brother Myles took the Western Sharks into the Southern Districts club final this year and was another applicant for the job of Northland coaching job - but was happy to see his younger brother get the position.
"If Northland want another coach like Bryce Woodward going up to the Blues and players getting higher honours, then the pathway must exist ... so I'm really pleased, not as a brother, but as a coach and a Northlander, it's a good move," Myles said.