Copyright bbc
When private equity firm Silver Lake bought a stake in All Blacks in 2022, the ensuing statement spoke of the "pursuit of new global opportunities" for the organisation. That task has perhaps been harder by the lack of a crossover star. Ardie Savea and the trio of Barrett brothers remain household names in the sport, but the concentration of stars has never been spread wider. Savea is the only All Black to win World Player of the Year in the past six seasons, in contrast to 10 in 13 years between 2005 and '07. Instead, efforts have been made to transplant the All Blacks into previously untapped markets. The first leg of this 'Grand Slam' tour brings New Zealand not to Dublin but Chicago, a return to the Soldier Field venue where Ireland secured a first ever victory in the fixture nine years ago. Since the easing of Covid-19 travel restrictions, the All Blacks have also played Fiji in San Diego and the Springboks in Twickenham. The last of the four Tests against South Africa in 2026 will be played at a neutral venue too. In turn, however, such a schedule is hardly likely to make things easier for Robertson as he seeks a return to the levels of a decade ago in the here and now while simultaneously building a team capable of winning the World Cup in Australia in two years' time. The 51-year-old will know that only one thing can quieten such existential debates and silence the growing number of critics. Historically, it is what they have done more than any other side in the game.
