The Manly Sea Eagles have made another important signing to ensure success on the Northern Beaches, announcing Sir Stephen Hansen as the club's Football Performance Director.
The strong addition to the Sea Eagles football program is set to turn heads, with Hansen's stacked coaching resume sitting at the top of some of the best in world sport.
Hansen was the head coach of the All Blacks, the New Zealand international rugby side, during a dominant era from 2012 to 2019.
He will work closely with Kiwi head coach Kieran Foran and chief executive Jason King to work towards an influential program for the Sea Eagles starting in 2027.
As All Blacks coach, Hansen recorded an astonishing 87 per cent winning rate at the helm, and out of 107 Tests, they tasted defeat on a slim 10 occasions.
Foran says he is thrilled to have someone of Hansen's calibre working closely with the high-performance program.
“To have someone of Steve Hansen's experience, knowledge and proven record of building winning cultures joining our football department is a massive opportunity for this Club,” Foran said in a club statement.
“I have enormous respect for Steve and what he has achieved. He is one of the greatest sporting minds of his generation, and I am incredibly excited to work with him and learn from him.”
Hansen and his All Blacks outfit won the 2015 Rugby World Cup, becoming the first nation to defend their international title back-to-back.
Since stepping away from head coaching, Hansen has taken on more mentorship and elite development roles in Japanese rugby.
The former All Black coach says he is excited to get on board, crediting the club's rich history of success.
“I'm really excited to be joining the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles and to be part of a Club that is steeped in history, success and a strong sporting identity,” Hansen said.
“There is a lot to like about what Manly is building, and I'm particularly looking forward to working with Kieran and CEO Jason King.”
The Sea Eagles finished their 2026 campaign in Auckland against the Warriors, going down valiantly 31-30 to end in ninth place.
Despite pushing the Warriors all the way, there were plenty of mixed moments in Manly's season, which at one point looked destined for the top four.
A rough six-week period saw them slip out of top-eight contention and miss the finals for the second year in a row.
The club will begin preseason training in two months to prepare for a huge 2027 campaign in Foran's first full season as head coach.
