Canterbury Crusaders’ chief executive rejected Tuesday “childish” calls to sack coach Rob Penney with the defending champions languishing at the bottom of the Super Rugby table.
The New Zealand club have dominated Super Rugby over the past decade, winning seven titles in a row.
But under new coach Penney, brought in this season to replace All Blacks-bound Scott Robertson, the Crusaders have only one win from their opening eight games.
Chief executive Colin Mansbridge said that firing Penney, who was sacked from his previous Super Rugby coaching role with the New South Wales Waratahs in 2021, did not make sense. “When you think logically about it, what are your options? That’s not a very clever option, no matter how bad things get,” he told local broadcaster Newstalk ZB. Mansbridge said he accepted criticism from fans “because they are emotionally invested. “But from commentators, I think it’s childish, frankly.