Ian Foster returns to Te Awamutu ahead of announcement of his next career move

Former All Blacks coach Ian Foster speaks at the 2024 Te Awamutu Rugby Sports & Recreation Club sponsors' evening. Photo / Dean Taylor

As the world awaits the news of his next career step, former All Blacks coach Ian Foster has spent some time with his former rugby club.

The highest-capped Waikato rugby player of all time returned to his beloved Te Awamutu Rugby Sports & Recreation Club last Tuesday, where he attended the club’s sponsors’ evening.

The annual event was MCed by club stalwart David Fox, while Te Awamutu Rugby Sports & Recreation Club board member Joe Sprangers informed the sponsors about the club’s history and about what was happening within their sporting codes and projects.

In 2023, Te Awamutu Sports had more than 5000 members take part in different activities, including weekly indoor netball competitions, Thursday night touch rugby and after-school competitions.

The club not only offers rugby but also has cricket, lacrosse, netball, miniball, and rugby league teams.

Last year was also one of the most successful rugby seasons in the club’s 34-year history, across both junior and senior levels.

Both the senior and junior club sent teams to tournaments in France.

“We recently had all our field lights replaced with LEDs. These new lights are more cost-effective than our previous lights, they also put out a lot more spillage onto the field which gives our teams more space to train,” Sprangers said.

“We have a golf fundraiser coming up in which we are raising funds to get number flags which can be used by all codes to mark out their fields or courts.”

Te Awamutu Rugby Sports & Recreation Club sponsors' evening MC David Fox (right) asks Ryley Emery (from left), Logan Karl and Dillon Martin about their experiences at the inaugural World Amateur Rugby Festival in France last year. Photo / Dean Taylor

Following Sprangers’ speech, Stuart Gudsell was awarded life membership of the club after his many years involved with cycling.

Then, Foster took to the stage to share stories about his time as All Blacks coach and for a Q and A session.

Foster said although he had received offers for other international coaching jobs, he couldn’t see himself facing the All Blacks after such a tenure of involvement.

He was well received and the Te Awamutu Sports community appreciated his candour.

When Foster concluded, Gudsell returned as an auctioneer to help raise funds for the club.

Items of interest were two caps signed by Foster that went for $280 each and an All Blacks polo shirt - also signed by Foster - that was bought for $660.

Jesse Wood is a multimedia journalist based in Te Awamutu. He joined the Te Awamutu Courier and NZME in 2020.

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