Buck eyes Super return
Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:09
Buck Shelford may be back in big rugby after the 2011 World Cup.
He has commitments with his North Shore club for the next two seasons but is keen to coach at Super Rugby level after that.
The former All Black captain, christened Wayne Thomas, but better known throughout the rugby world as the legendary "Buck", played 48 games for New Zealand between 1985-1990, including 22 Tests, and captained the All Blacks in 31 games, including 14 Tests.
During his tenure as captain from 1987 to 1990, the All Blacks were unbeaten, drawing once against Australia and winning the rest.
When he was controversially dropped from the All Black team in 1990, he became something of a national cult figure, with fans waging a "Bring Back Buck" campaign across the country.
In an interview with the Manawatu Standard in Palmerston North this week, where was coaching as a member of the International Rugby Academy of New Zealand (IRANZ) coaching staff, Shelford said he was keen to get "a full-time job in New Zealand somewhere, someday".
He had sold the country hotel which he had run for two decades and was involved in property development. He was also doing short stints as an IRANZ coach.
After coaching at North Harbour from 1997-2002, he coached English Premiership club Saracens in London in 2002 and 2003 and is keen to move to a higher level of coaching.
He would be happy to act as an assistant coach and would "probably put the feelers out there" after the World Cup.
The 52-year-old Shelford is in remission after treatment for lymphoma, a form of cancer, in 2007.
He told the Manawatu Standard he believed the 2011 World Cup would be a great event in New Zealand's rugby history.
"Hopefully we can pull it off with a lot of style and razzmatazz and the locals get in behind it."
He had doubts, though, about the Air New Zealand Cup's 14-team model, which he felt may not last.
"I thought it worked very well last year. It was a good tournament. I think it'll be revisited in the next couple of years.
"I think it probably can't sustain it unless you get a lot of backing from the local community in regards to getting bums on seats.
"Many of the provinces had some good gates last year because they got some good weather."
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