Former All Blacks boss Steve Hansen tears into officials after quitting club with immediate effect

Monday, 11 May 2026 at 00:47

bySteven Smith

Steve Hansen bowed out of Japanese rugby with a brutal blast at the standard of refereeing after resigning from Toyota Verblitz.

The former New Zealand national rugby union team head coach confirmed his departure following Verblitz’s final game of the season — and didn’t hold back in his assessment of the officials.

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Hansen, who guided New Zealand to victory at the 2015 Rugby World Cup, had been with Toyota since 2019 as director of rugby before stepping into the head coach role in 2024.

Working alongside fellow former All Blacks boss Ian Foster, Hansen oversaw a squad that included ex-Test stars such as Aaron Smith.

But despite the big names, Verblitz failed to make an impact in Japan Rugby League One, finishing 10th and ninth in the last two seasons.

Speaking after the defeat to Honda Heat, Hansen tore into the officiating.

“The quality of the refereeing was poor and I felt sorry for the players,” Hansen said.

“In the first half, plays that should never have been allowed were permitted.

“In the second half, two tries were disallowed by the TMO and one of them was an unbelievable decision.

“I’m leaving the team so I’m going to say this now.”

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