After winning the Rugby World Cup last year, All Black coach Steve Hansen could probably name the tenure of his next contract.
He wanted to take the team through another two years and, thereafter, New Zealand Rugby's options were open. Now it has extended Hansen's contract to the next World Cup in 2019.
Hansen's winning record is second to none. He took over a winning team and guided it to greater heights of performance, and he may be on the brink of repeating the feat. But nobody will know until his next team has played for a season or two.
Staying ahead of the wave is hard in any field of competition, commercial or cultural as well as sporting. Change has to be made before failure forces it upon the organisation.
No manager is more aware of this than those who select and coach successful sporting teams. They are constantly reviewing players' performances and looking ahead.
