Anscombe and Robertson to guide Northland rugby

It was billed as the worst-kept secret in Northland rugby history.

It has turned out to be one of the best.

The Northland Rugby Union announced today that Mark Anscombe will coach Northland's representative team for two years with former All Black legend Bruce Robertson his assistant.

So rumours - and several misguided reports - that the job had been handed to South African Balie Swart have been proven wrong.

Speculation that former All Black and Blues coach Peter Sloane was in the running was dismissed as misinformed gossip.

NRU chairman Wayne Peters announced today that Anscombe and Robertson will replace Bruce Hodder (who resigned mid-season) and Mark Seymour, the pair finally accepting contractual terms today.

They will start in their new roles immediately.

Peters said Anscombe's reputation as a technically sound and well-respected coach had seen him emerge as the best candidate.

Robertson will work as the provincial assistant coach as well as the NRU high-performance coaching director.

The announcement ends a protracted process that started in September and comes more than a month after the NRU hoped to appoint the new coach.

"In the end our selection panel, that consisted of such rugby names as Laurie Mains, David Nucifora, Bryce Woodward and Peter Sloane, were all agreed that Mark Anscombe was the ideal candidate for the job," Peters said.

"We would have liked to have reached a conclusion to the coaching appointments earlier, but we are confident in the final outcome, and that is what is important," he said.

Anscombe said the opportunity to take a head coaching role with a first division provincial team had been too enticing to ignore after two years as an assistant coach with North Harbour.

He has been coaching for the last 15 years, including several seasons in Ireland and England and stints with the Auckland and Blues development teams.

Robertson comes with his reputation as one of the finest midfield backs in All Black history.

He was the Blues assistant coach two years ago.

- NORTHERN ADVOCATE (WHANGAREI)