Tasman appoint Blackadder
Fri, 26 Oct 2007 10:22
Former All Black and Canterbury stalwart Todd Blackadder will take over as coach of Tasman, replacing Dennis Brown who stepped down last week. Brown, who had a year left to run on his contract, agreed to sever ties with the province by mutual agreement. Blackadder, Tasman's director of rugby, first ventured into management as the player/coach of Scotland club Edinburgh after leaving New Zealand in 2003. The former All Blacks captain also assisted Australian Matt Williams with the Scottish national side before returning home to help ease the amalgamation of Nelson Bays and Marlborough into Tasman for the revamped provincial competition. Blackadder told Radio Sport the structure of the Air New Zealand Cup, now in its second year, needed to be looked at. "This competition doesn't quite fit," said Blackadder. "We don't get to play everyone, the timing, we don't get All Blacks back."
