I te rā nei pāpāhotia ai e te Ohu Whutupaori o Aotearoa te tīpakohanga o Clayton McMillan, nō Te Moana ā Toi (Ngāi Te Rangi), ki te tūranga Kaiako Matua o Te Kapa Ōpango Māori.
New Maori All Blacks coach Clayton McMillan. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
He mea tīpako a McMillan i muri mai i te wāhanga tākaro mīharo ō te kapa Mohoao Taiwhenua o Aotearoa, ina hoki, nā rātou te kēmu whakatūwhera i te hīkoi ō te kapa Raiona ki a Ingarangi i Whangarei i tēnei tau.
Kua noho ia hei piki tūranga mā Colin Cooper, kua heke iho nei kia pai ai tana arotahi ki ngā haepapa mo te kaupapa Investec Super Rugby 2018.
I pōhiritia a McMillan e te toihau o te Poari Whutupaoro Māori o Aotearoa, e Dr Farah Palmer, me tana hikaka ki tēnei whanaketanga i roto i te ao whutupaoro Māori.
"He mea nui tēnei i roto i te ao whutupaoro Māori. Kei te hīkaka mātou i te pikitanga mai ō Claytonki te ārahi i Te Kapa Ōpango Māori nā te mea he kaiako pūkenga rau ia, me te aha, kua mōhiotia ia mo āna mahi kaiako pai ki te whakawhanake kaitākaro me te akiaki hoki kia pai ai te ahurea o te kapa.
"Nāna te mahi whakangūngū i te kapa Mohoao Taiwhenua o Aotearoa i mua i te kēmu ki a Ingarangi i eke ai rātou, me te aha, e whakapono ana au ka pērā anō te kaha o āna mahi me tōna whai tikanga ahurea tau ki tēnei kapa whakahirahira," te kī ā Palmer.
15 tau ki muri, i whakawhiti a McMillan, he kaitākaro rau-kēmu mā Te Moana ā Toi, ki ngā mahi kaiako, i te motunga o te here ki āna mahi tākaro i Hapāni.
Mai i tana hokinga mai ki Aotearoa, he nui āna mahi i roto i ngā reanga pakeke katoa, i roto hoki i ngā karapu maha i Te Moana ā Toi me Te Whanganui ā Tara i mua i tana pikitanga ki te tūranga matua i tōna rohe i te tau 2015.
"He kaha te tuakiri ō Te Kapa Ōpango Māori, he taera whutupaoro whakahikaka hoki tōna, me te whakahirahira hoki o tōna tūāpapa ahurea," hei tā McMillan.
"Kei te hiahia au kia ū tonu tērā āhuatanga hei huarahi mā ngā kaitākaro e hiahia ana ki te eke ki taumata kē.
"E tū poho kererū ana mātou ko tōku whanau. Ko tōku wawata mā te rōpū nei kia kaha tonu ki te whakawhanake i te taonga kua mahue mai ki tēnei kapa.
"Kei te hiahia au kia aronuitia ngā āhuatanga katoa o ngā mahi o te kapa nei; kia angitū ai ngā kaitākaro i roto i tōna taiao katoa, me te whakanui hoki te kaitākaro i tōna Māoritanga."
Ka arahi a McMillan Te Kapa Ōpango Māori i runga i te hīkoi kēmu-rua kua whakaritea i te Tuakoi Raki hei te Whiringa-ā-rangi.
Bay of Plenty's Clayton McMillan (Ngai Te Rangi) has been appointed Head Coach of the Maori All Blacks, New Zealand Rugby announced today.
McMillan's appointment follows an impressive campaign with the New Zealand Provincial Barbarians who opened the British & Irish Lions tour in Whangarei this year.
He fills the position vacated by Colin Cooper, who has stepped down to focus on 2018 Investec Super Rugby duties.
New Zealand Rugby Maori Board chair Dr Farah Palmer welcomed McMillan's appointment as an exciting new phase in Maori rugby.
"This is really exciting for Maori rugby. We are looking forward to having Clayton lead the Maori All Blacks as he is a talented coach with a track record of developing players and developing great team culture.
"His work with the New Zealand Provincial Barbarians in the lead up to their match against the British & Irish Lions was outstanding and I expect he will bring the same strong work and cultural ethic to this special team," said Palmer.
McMillan, a Bay of Plenty centurion, transitioned into coaching 15 years ago, while finishing professional rugby in Japan.
Since returning to New Zealand he has held several age group and club roles in both Bay of Plenty and Wellington before taking the reins in his home province in 2015.
"The Maori All Blacks team has a very strong identity with an exciting style of rugby, and special cultural base," said McMillan.
"I want to ensure that it continues to provide a pathway for players wanting higher honours.
"This is a very proud moment for myself and my family. My vision for this team is to continue to build on the legacy that has been carved out for this team.
"I want to ensure that we take a holistic approach to our work with this team; that players can play great rugby in this environment and that they can celebrate who they are as Maori."
McMillan will lead the Maori All Blacks on a two-match programme in the northern hemisphere in November.
-RNZ
