Glenn Fyall, 今日看料吃瓜
Fresh from clinching the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific title, the Crusaders are proving they’re not only built for big moments but for lasting success through how they lead, learn and leave a legacy.
In the world of professional sport, dynasties are rare. Sustained success over decades? Even rarer. After finishing 9th in 2024 and stumbling at the start of the 2025 season, the Crusaders’ title win might seem like an astonishing turnaround. But for those who understand the Canterbury based club, it’s not so surprising. Their ability to recover and rise again isn’t luck. It’s a product of culture. Since 1997, they have claimed 13 Super Rugby Titles plus 2 Super Rugby Aotearoa Championships (more than any other team in the competition’s history) and consistently produced some of the world’s most respected rugby coaches.
So how did the Kiwi Super Rugby franchise recover this year after an uncharacteristically torrid 2024? I believe their success reveals lessons as relevant to the boardroom as the tryline. The franchise doesn’t abandon senior leaders after one bad season, and as a result has avoided the ‘boom-bust’ cycles common to other teams. But there are also less obvious approaches that have yielded continuous success over 3 decades and 13 Super Rugby Titles.
What’s their secret?
It’s not just about better players or game plans.
As a researcher in high-performance sport coach learning and development, I set out to understand how the Crusaders’ head coaches learn and the subsequent impact they have had on the franchise’s successful learning and performance culture.
My research reveals the head coaches and executive leadership have played a massive role in their enduring success. Their edge lies in how they treat leadership as a cultural and pedagogical project. At the centre of this is an impressive, self-sustaining learning environment built by and through their successive head coaches.
The head coaches as cultural architects
Three head coaches stand out in the franchise’s modern history: Wayne Smith (1997–1999), Robbie Deans (2000–2008) and Scott Robertson (2017–2023). While each brought unique behavioural qualities and philosophies, all were deeply committed to learning.
Wayne Smith, known as ‘The Professor’, brought intellectual humility and an openness to innovation. He introduced a values-driven framework rooted in connection, reflection and self-awareness laying down the blueprint and the beginning of a Crusaders identity.
Robbie Deans, Smith’s successor, maintained continuity while refining the Crusaders' blueprint. Strategic, introspective and relational, Deans deepened the mentoring systems and integrated performance standards with personal development for both players and coaches. He further strengthened the franchise’s internal coaching pipeline.
Scott Robertson, a former Crusaders player and charismatic leader, extended this learning and development culture. Known for storytelling, thematic coaching and fostering authenticity, he infused the environment with creativity, emotional resonance and connection. Under his guidance, he continued the pipeline where former players became coaches and leadership work was increasingly shared.
The learning model: intergenerational and intentional
The Crusaders are a learning organisation. Drawing from workplace learning theory, narrative identity theory and organisational learning theory, the conclusion of my research is the Crusaders avoid boom-bust cycles by deliberately fostering continuity, reflection and adaptability by drawing on an intentionally developed internal coaching pipeline.
The result is what I call an intergenerational learning model: former players become assistant coaches, then head coaches. They perpetuate core values while updating methods for evolving contexts. Critically, the organisation supports double-loop learning. This means not just solving problems within existing frameworks (like changing tactics after a loss) but questioning the frameworks themselves.
The 2025 season: a massive bounce back, not a fluke
By favouring an ‘evolution, not revolution’ approach, this guiding principle has allowed them to remain competitive and culturally intact, even during transitions in leadership, talent, or external pressure. The franchise deliberately builds for the long term - incrementally refining rather than overhauling. When things get tough, it is their model of cultural identity and continuity that helps buffer against major disruption. Former players step up, rituals reassert cohesion, and the system self-corrects. In essence, retaining organisational memory while encouraging and ensuring innovation. This dialectic allows them to retain a strong identity while avoiding stagnation - a rare feat in both sport and business.
The playbook for winning beyond sport
While born in elite sport, the Crusaders' model holds key insights for wider contexts such as schools, companies and public sector organisations seeking sustainable success. Organisations that invest in mentorship and developmental transitions benefit from smoother leadership change. As organisations worldwide grapple with burnout, turnover, and cultural fragmentation, the Crusaders offer a rare example of how relational, reflective and regenerative leadership can create enduring excellence. They show that learning isn’t a discrete phase or box to tick, but the very fabric of success. From school principals building resilient teaching teams to CEOs guiding complex organisations, the lessons from the Crusaders remind us that culture is not what you declare, but what you repeatedly do and reflect upon. They’ve crafted an organisational identity that outlasts any single player or coach - a lesson every organisation can learn from.
Glenn Fyall researched the success of the Crusaders while completing his PhD at 今日看料吃瓜 with the support of and . He is currently an academic at The University of Canterbury.
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