Media Insider: Scott Robertson’s axing – inside the All Blacks coaching storm; ‘Nothing made in China’ advertising controversy; Magazine editors step down

He said the work of the NZ Herald’s own senior rugby writer, Liam Napier - who revealed player discontent within the All Blacks last December and followed that up with another major scoop this week that All Blacks hard man Ardie Savea was ready to walk away - was instrumental in his own work.

“Once Ardie Savea was linked with [Irish club] Leinster in Liam Napier’s excellent exposé, I began shaking trees to see what was going on," said O’Connor.

He said he had been doing the job for 13 years and had built up plenty of contacts through touring and Rugby World Cups.

“I managed to establish that the transfer was a non-runner, but that only brought up more questions as to what was going on.

“I’d opened up lines of communication that remained open all day, and that I guess led to my getting the required reliable information to run the story when I did.

“I know a number of UK journalists were on to the story, and we probably had time zones on our side. Information as explosive as this is hard to keep under wraps.

“It wasn’t easy at all to firm up at all. There’s always an element of luck with these things, but I’m thankful that it broke my way. That said, I feel for Scott Robertson, who has always struck me as an impressive figure.”

O’Connor reported on Thursday morning (NZT): “The Irish Independent understands that the New Zealand Rugby (NZR) has decided to bow to player power and Robertson will not be in charge in 2026.

“The news comes after an explosive report in the New Zealand Herald centring on player reviews of the coach’s second year in charge and speculation that vice captain Ardie Savea is considering remaining in Japan or moving to Europe instead of playing for the team".

A few hours later, just before 2pm on Thursday, NZR confirmed the news.

Some social media users have speculated that the leak about Robertson may have come through World Rugby, which is based in Dublin. But there are also strong All Blacks, NZR and Robertson connections in Ireland right now.

Whoever leaked the story will likely stay a mystery – O’Connor, quite rightly, isn’t saying.

An experienced public relations and crisis management expert who was called in to help Scott Robertson has urged the media and public to remember that people are “hurting”.

Christchurch-based PR firm The Reputation Hub issued the only statement so far from Robertson, in which he said he was “gutted” to be losing the All Blacks job.

“My priority has always been the success of the All Blacks and, after discussions with New Zealand Rugby, I believe it is in the best interests of the team for me to step aside,” Robertson said in the statement.

On its website, The Reputation Hub outlines its work: “Trusted counsel for boards, CEOs and senior leaders navigating media storms, stakeholder pressure, and reputational risk.”

It is understood NZR helped organise the company’s involvement, partly as a point of contact for the parties.

“Days like today are tough. Big news stories can move quickly and publicly, but behind all of it are real people,” said The Reputation Hub managing director Nathan Beaumont, in a social media post.

Beaumont is a former head of corporate affairs for Chorus, Parliamentary press secretary, and senior Dominion Post journalist.

“Families, friends, kids, and colleagues who are hurting and trying to make sense of something incredibly hard.

“I know it is a major story and there is a strong appetite for detail, but a little compassion goes a long way. There are people doing their best to navigate a really emotional moment, and they will feel every word that gets written or said.”

Certainly, there has been plenty written here and around the world.

The BBC’s Mike Henson said not even “the most one-eyed All Blacks fan” would now claim they were the best team in the world.

“And, as even the most casual supporter knows, that is what they need to be - which is why Robertson has been sacked. The All Black brand is based on over a century of dominating rugby union, which has seen them transcend the sport and become a global cultural phenomenon.”

He said with Robertson’s dismissal came “a sense of a superpower in decline ... whoever takes over from Robertson faces the difficult task of uniting a squad of players for the Rugby World Cup only 20 months away, and overcoming deeper structural issues.”

South African-based Rugby 365 writer Jan de Koning said: “While New Zealand take a collective breath and ponders the fall-out of the culling of Scott Robertson as All Black coach, it will also be met with trepidation in South Africa.”

He said Jamie Joseph was, by all accounts, the frontrunner and “the man who could do the most damage to the Springboks’ status as the world’s No 1-ranked team”.

De Koning said if Springboks assistant coach Tony Brown joined Joseph, his “intimate knowledge of Rassie Erasmus’ modus operandi will be invaluable”.

“It will also disrupt the legwork that has been done to evolve the Boks’ attacking structures.

“If Jamie Joseph is appointed, it will almost certainly result in the loss of Tony Brown to the Bok cause.”

Australian website The Roar headlined its story: “Razor gets the knife as All Blacks make cut-throat coaching call”.

“In a move straight out of the Rugby Australia playbook, the NZR have become jumpy after an underwhelming and dramatic, albeit moderately successful, two years in charge.”

It said the sacking came as a result of the “clunky nature” of the All Blacks’ attack “and the side’s inability to problem-solve on the run”.

ESPN’s Sam Bruce said Thursday’s events “have left the collective jaw of the global rugby community on the floor”.

However, the signs that all was not well had been present for some time.

“Three years ago, just 12 months out from a Rugby World Cup, Scott Robertson was so very nearly catapulted into the position as All Blacks coach. A dead man walking, Ian Foster survived only on the unwavering support of his senior players.

“Now, with under two years to run to the next global showpiece, player power has seen Robertson dismissed just two years into a four-year contract. The irony is unmistakable.”

Where once he wore the All Blacks silver fern, David Kirk bore a bluetooth microphone – the somewhat bulky device on his lapel capturing every utterance of a forthright yet empathetic dream-slayer.

For 25 minutes and nine seconds, here stood the NZR chairman and former All Black in front of a mosaic of hundreds of black and white images of players from yesteryear. He calmly and rationally explained why Robertson would no longer be the All Blacks coach.

In front of Kirk, eight live microphones, a smorgasbord of smartphones and more than 20 media representatives recorded history. One photographer stood on a barstool to get his shots.

Newstalk ZB and news websites broke into regular programming to carry the press conference live.

“I thought media was shrinking,” NZR communication boss Paul Stevens dryly noted.

If ever you needed to understand how the media treats rugby in this country, it was illustrated superbly in this tight little corner near the reception area of NZR’s Auckland headquarters in Parnell.

The Prime Minister would struggle to get this much attention.

At the front of the media pack was “Sav” – TVNZ’s everywhere sports host Andrew Saville, dapper in a sports jacket and dress jeans. He stood virtually unwavering, ready and prepared for 20 minutes, while journalists awaited Kirk.

In shades of “Jessica then Tova”, Stevens let everyone know that Sav could have the first question. Everyone was fine with that. Then he got questions two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight and nine. Good work, Sav.

Great work, Liam Napier, the NZ Herald senior rugby writer who first revealed concerns within the All Blacks’ playing ranks in December, and then broke the story this week – while on holiday – that Ardie Savea was one of the seriously unhappy ones seeking a circuit-breaker.

Great work, too, to the media outlets who recognised Napier’s work; brickbats to those who purposely refused to acknowledge it.

Amazing work, Irish Independent rugby journalist Rúaidhrí O’Connor, who revealed, hours before the official NZR announcement, that Robertson would be sacked.

Kirk’s press conference was a masterclass in fronting up and answering every question in plain English.

As headline writers reached for their thesauruses – “axed”, “dumped”, “sensationally sacked” – RNZ’s Eddie Gay came up with one that may linger longest: “Disposable Razor”.

As writer Dylan Cleaver noted on his The Bounce website, it was cruel but accurate.

Advertising for a New Zealand clothing brand, which emphasises “Nothing made in China”, has been ruled okay following an appeal.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) originally deemed the Drift Clothing website advertisement to be offensive, following an official complaint from a person who said it “carried discriminatory undertones against a specific country and its people”.

However, Drift Clothing appealed that ruling, and now the ASA’s appeal board has overturned the original decision.

The appeals board said the wording “did not meet the threshold to cause serious or widespread offence, considering its limited placement on the advertiser’s website”.

“The board said the distinction between the use of the word ‘China’ as opposed to ‘Chinese’ was an important one, as it was the practices used in the garment industry of that country which the advertisement was choosing to highlight.”

It said the advertiser’s intent was a focus on its standards for ethical sourcing and product quality in the clothing sector, “and not a reflection on the Chinese people or their culture”.

The majority of the board also noted the context of the advertisement – “a premium men’s clothing company’s website with an emphasis on ethical sourcing, was an important component in the likely consumer takeout of the ‘Nothing made in China’ claim”.

The advertiser identifies its target audience as “discerning customers who are invested in the origin, quality and ethical production of their clothing”.

The board said the advertisement made it clear this was a point of difference for the brand. The majority of the board also said the symbols at the bottom of the website were not the core message of the advertisement.

A minority of the appeals board still believed the ad “was likely to give rise to hostility or contempt for some consumers”.

“A minority of the Appeal Board said that although the advertisement was not misleading, it had not been prepared with a due sense of social responsibility.”

Drift Clothing told the appeals board that the ASA had profoundly misinterpreted the ad.

“Our slogan is not, and was never intended to be, a reflection on the Chinese people or their culture. It is a specific, factual statement about a state-controlled industrial system that is widely documented for systemic unethical practices.”

It said the original “offensive” ruling was a dangerous misinterpretation.

“To uphold this ruling is to tell all New Zealand businesses that ‘social responsibility’ (principle 1) means they must remain silent in the face of these documented abuses, for fear of offending someone. We reject this. We argue it is truly socially irresponsible to do business with, and thereby financially support, such a system.”

Two weeks into the new year, and we’re already seeing some big announcements out of magland.

Two of New Zealand’s leading magazine editors, NZ Woman’s Weekly editor Marilynn McLachlan (disclaimer: she’s also my wife!) and Kia Ora magazine editor Virginia Larson, are stepping down from their roles at Are Media.

McLachlan is moving to a new senior lifestyle editing role at the company, while Larson will become a freelance contributor for Kia Ora, Air New Zealand’s in-flight magazine.

“Marilynn is an outstanding editorial leader who has played a pivotal role in the success of New Zealand Woman’s Weekly across all platforms over the past five years,” Are Media NZ general manager Stuart Dick said n a press release.

“We have enormous respect for her talent, her leadership and her contribution to the brand and the wider company.”

McLachlan made the call to move to the newly fashioned lifestyle editor role after five years in the editor’s chair.

“We were very keen to support Marilynn in this move,” Dick said. “Her passion for lifestyle content, combined with her deep understanding of the Weekly and its audience, makes this a natural evolution of her role. We see a long and exciting future for Marilynn within Are Media and our diverse publishing portfolio.”

McLachan said in a statement: “New Zealand Woman’s Weekly has my heart – the brand, the team and, most importantly, the readers.

“Stepping away from the editorship was a deeply considered decision and not one I made lightly. But this role allows me to still create and deliver inspirational content for hundreds of thousands of Kiwis and remain a significant part of a title I love and a company I believe in.”

Larson, meantime, said it was the right time for her to step down.

“Editing Kia Ora has been an enormous privilege,” she said in a separate statement.

“It’s a magazine that carries New Zealand’s stories to the world, and I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved with such a talented team. Stepping away from the editorship feels like the right time, while still allowing me to stay involved with a title I care deeply about.”

Dick said Larson had been an outstanding editor. “Her editorial leadership, judgment and collaborative approach have been instrumental in the magazine’s success. We’re delighted that Virginia will continue working with us in a freelance capacity.”

The two editorships are already being advertised.

Another well-known magazine editor also has a new role.

Sarah Daniell, most recently the editor of North & South, is returning to NZ Herald publisher NZME to be the deputy print editor, helping oversee the specialist team that looks after the editorial content in the company’s newspapers and magazines.

Daniell is a former editor of Canvas, the Weekend Herald’s liftout magazine and is another very respected senior editorial leader.

It promises to be a big year in magland, with all of these personnel changes, Are Media still up for sale, a refreshed Metro magazine already on the shelves, and the potential of new or revamped titles with an improving economy.

However, there have been casualties along the way – North & South is on a hiatus, perhaps forever, with its website not updated since October and plans to return to print now axed.

And Cosmopolitan magazine’s local Australasian edition has also been axed, less than a year after moves into the New Zealand market.

The bi-monthly magazine had resumed in Australia in August 2024, and in New Zealand earlier last year.

“New Zealand’s always been part of the contractual discussions with Hearst International, so I always wanted to expand to New Zealand,” Katarina Kroslakova, owner of publishing house KK Press, told Media Insider last February.

“I just wanted to do it at the right time and in the right way.”

But now the magazine has shut its Australasian edition, after six editions were produced for the New Zealand market in 2025.

In a statement, Kroslakova said that poor advertising revenue meant the magazine was no longer sustainable.

“We have ceased publishing Cosmopolitan Magazine in Australia and New Zealand and will continue to focus on creating premium lifestyle content and expanding our custom publishing division. While the team produced high-quality content across the period we published in New Zealand, at the same frequency of issues as Australia in 2025, and achieved strong readership, advertising support for this brand did not reach the level required for long-term commercial sustainability.”

It was great to catch up with The Front Page’s Chelsea Daniels this week, to talk more about the media year ahead and, specifically, Media Insider’s 26 predictions.

Already, the prediction that a major marketer would move from their corporate role has come to pass, with the respected Dom Quinn stepping down as Foodstuffs marketing and media group general manager.

That announcement came around the same time as New Zealand’s 2024 marketer of the year, Frankie Coulter, who has been the chief marketing officer at Goodman Fielder, would be joining The Warehouse Group (TWG) this year.

TWG confirmed in December that its equally respected marketing general manager, Jo Mitchell, would be leaving in January.

“Jo has played a key role in transforming how we show up in the market and supporting the business through a period of significant change. We thank Jo for her leadership and contribution and wish her all the best for what comes next,” said Warehouse boss Mark Stirton.

Hundreds of friends, family members and colleagues have paid tribute to journalist and playwright Aroha Awarau, who died this week, just a few days short of his 50th birthday.

He has been described as a “force”, with many paying tribute to his courage and spirit – in life generally and in his final days.

Awarau endured a painfully short battle with cancer, remaining stoic until the end, with eight operations in the space of a few short weeks. This week, he was moved from Auckland Hospital to Mercy Hospice, where he died the next day.

He was surrounded by many loved ones in his final days, including his father and best friend, Tipene Joseph.

“True to the way he lived, Aroha met this final moment with grace, courage, and his unmistakable spirit,” wrote Joseph on Awarau’s Facebook page.

“Cancer shortened the timeline, but it never diminished the person he is. The sharp mind. The sharper tongue. The flamboyance. The creativity. The generosity of friendship. He lived fully. He loved deeply.

“We all know how much he loved the drama of Broadway. True to form, he named the last chapter of his life, the ‘Final Production’. It will be a farewell shaped by his words, his flair, and his wishes. We will honour that.”

That “Final Production” will take place at 1pm (arrival from 12.30pm) on Saturday at Te Pou Theatre, 2 Mt Lebanon Lane, Henderson, West Auckland. Attendees are encouraged to wear colour.

Sky TV has today released details of its Winter Olympics coverage plans next month. The games run from February 6-22 in Milano and Cortina.

Sky Sport presenters Kirstie Stanway and Anna Willcox, an Olympian from the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, will report from Italy.

In Auckland, Laura McGoldrick, George Harper, Kimberlee Ritchie, Storm Purvis and Andrew Mulligan will all be involved in daily coverage that stretches from 9pm each evening to midday the next day.

Sky said it would have a dedicated Winter Olympics Gold channel, along with an additional two to four Sky Sport channels, with both live and catch-up content.

It will also provide more than 100 hours of free-to-air coverage on Sky Open, including the opening and closing ceremonies.

This week, we feature our final summer Q&As with media industry leaders – NZ on Air boss Cameron Harland and Pead PR founder Deborah Pead.

What’s one word to sum up your mood heading into 2026?

Optimistic.

What surprised you in 2025?

Not much surprises me in this sector. It continues to be tough for our content creators to get projects up, secure investment and partners, and to get audience cut-through in a cluttered media environment. At the same time, the quality of the work continues to grow and inspire.

Perhaps the biggest surprise was Trade Me’s significant investment in Stuff Digital. This was certainly an ironic moment, noting that much of the early financial challenge for print media was the loss of advertising revenue to online platforms such as Trade Me. But it was great to see a new investor come into the media sector. Sky’s acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery New Zealand’s assets was also noteworthy. For us, while that means fewer local broadcasters, we are hopeful it will deliver more audience reach for local content.

Perhaps also a pleasant surprise was the amount of growth we witnessed in the New Zealand games sector. At 38% growth in a single year, this is a sector that is arguably the fastest-growing games sector in the world and massively outperformed the global average (2%).

What didn’t surprise me was the level of over-subscription we have seen for our funding rounds – both screen and music. Our pilot New Music Project Touring Fund, for example, was massively over-subscribed (36 applicants seeking $1.2m from a $500,000 fund). This really shows how many great content creators we have in Aotearoa and substantiates the need for funding support in a small market like ours.

What has been your biggest personal or professional success in 2025, and what’s your biggest ‘work-on’ for 2026?

I’m proud of how our team stayed nimble and responsive to the evolving needs of the sector. This year, we delivered comprehensive targeted children’s research providing insights to guide our content makers and strengthen the industry. At the same time, we introduced the New Music Project Touring initiative, in response to sector need, opening up fresh opportunities for artists to connect with audiences. Equally so, seeing the hustle, ambition and optimism of our producers and artists trying to get their work made and discovered is a real source of pride.

My biggest work-on will be to get out even more and engage with our sectors. We pride ourselves on being informed and empathic. We are well aware that our funding plays a crucial role in the delicate local media ecosystem, and that really means our strategy must be informed by the industry.

Which competitor – either person or firm – do you admire most and why?

Strictly speaking, we don’t have competitors, but given our focus is on local content for audiences, I’d have to say Netflix and YouTube are both partners and competitors. I admire their global footprint, market penetration and very clear focus on their business models but, on the other hand, they need to be more engaged in the local market, providing creators with new opportunities to have their stories seen.

Our own research says that YouTube now reaches 69% of young New Zealanders daily, and, because of that, we simply can’t ignore YouTube as a significant platform for delivering local content, which is why we recently launched KIDOGO, a YouTube hub for local children’s stories and songs.

Netflix likewise has significant local market penetration (38% of all New Zealanders daily, according to our research), and we continue to talk to them about tangible ways they could engage in this market. We’d love to see them both working alongside and in partnership with the local sector so that our content is shared across as many platforms as possible.

How do you think 2026 will play out for New Zealand media – what would be a game-changer for your company/audience/clients?

It will be fascinating to see how global changes start to impact us here. Netflix’s acquisition of Warner Bros may well be the start of even more consolidation globally, and what that means for us in the sector and for audiences is still unknown. Closer to home, the new regulations in Australia are likely to have wider implications that will be very interesting to watch play out. And the impacts of Artificial Intelligence, both positive and negative, have yet to bed down.

Locally, we still see advertiser-funded models under strain, but our local media companies continue to reach New Zealanders in very strong numbers across traditional and digital channels, are all very well run with quality management in place, and I would bet on them navigating the next 12 months well.

I also hope to see our local industry continue to engage with the international market, both to assist in getting projects funded at more ambitious levels, and to find new audiences. On the screen side, changes in 2022 that allowed NZ On Air funding to sit alongside the NZ Screen Production Rebate, while admittedly adding complexity to finance plans, has seen budgets and ambition increase and attracted around $40m in non-government market investment.

A game changer for us in 2026 would be to see real collaboration from all the local broadcasters and streamers to lift our local voice. Imagine all the major players in the industry coming together to support and grow creative development, talent development and pathways to access international finance and audiences.

What are your plans for the summer break?

I’m looking forward to spending a little time with my sons, who both live offshore now. Hopefully, we all get some decent weather and the chance to unwind a bit, and, if not, there’s plenty of great local content to watch and listen to!

What’s one word to sum up your mood heading into 2026?

Resolved. I am clear-eyed about what is required in the year ahead, both in business and in life in New Zealand. I feel a deep sense of responsibility to this place. While I am concerned about what is happening around us, I am equally determined to be a better custodian of a country I care deeply about.

What surprised you in 2025?

The speed at which AI [artificial intelligence] moved from novelty to necessity was extraordinary. Almost overnight, it became embedded in workflows, decision-making and expectations, and we are ensuring our clients’ voices cut through as AI reshapes how consumers engage with brands.

I was also struck by the swing back to reputation and risk. We saw a marked rise in demand for crisis readiness, governance, and stakeholder management. Reputation shifted from something organisations worried about when things went wrong to something they actively invested in to avoid trouble. Prevention is more valuable than response.

What was your biggest personal or professional success in 2025, and what’s your biggest work-on for 2026?

On a personal level, launching the Danbri Beef brand was deeply satisfying. It marked a high point in bringing our regenerative, humane on-farm harvest story to life.

Professionally, winning the Prinz Supreme Award for the World’s Largest Haka was a significant accolade, alongside Pead securing the global creative pitch for Xero. Seeing our work roll out across every Xero territory reinforced a belief I hold strongly. New Zealand may not compete on scale, but we can absolutely win on quality.

The biggest work-on for 2026 is building on that momentum by pushing further into creative-led PR. The market feels ready again for bold creativity with clear commercial impact, and we are giving it equal weight alongside our corporate, issues management and digital disciplines at Pead.

Which competitor, either person or firm, do you admire most and why?

Bastion Shine. They read the road and are the winners of the ad agency Hunger Games. As global networks fractured and uncertainty spread through local offices, they moved quickly to offer a high-performing team from a competing agency, and their clients, certainty, protection, and a platform to do their best work. That level of foresight, combined with the courage to act while others waited, is rare in ad land. It is a strong example of an independent Australasian agency building the agency of the future.

How do you think 2026 will play out for New Zealand media and what would be a game-changer for your company, audience, or clients?

The election cycle will shape 2026 heavily. Election news will dominate headlines, attention will narrow, and brands will need to work harder and smarter to earn space in an environment where politics rightly takes priority.

With the proliferation of AI-generated content, visibility is easy but also easier to ignore, and in 2026, trust and authenticity will be the most valuable assets. You cannot buy trust; you must earn it, and stories with genuine substance, cultural intelligence, sound judgment and commercial intent will cut through.

This is also a moment for the industry to lift its standards. Communications play a powerful role in shaping culture and public discourse, particularly during election periods. With that influence comes responsibility. We have seen most recently, in the wake of the Bondi massacre, the real-world harm that irresponsible narratives can fuel. Provocation without principle may deliver short-term attention but it can also damage trust, brands, and the industry itself.

For Pead, the opportunity sits at the intersection of creativity, ethics and protection. To guide and to guard our clients. In a world of shrinking mainstream media and rising automation, good taste and judgment, courage and values will matter more than ever.

What are your plans for the summer break?

We are finally back in our home after it was destroyed by fire three and a half years ago. It feels incredibly good to have graduated from the dog kennels and returned to a brand-new family home on Danbri Farm.

The beasts have been slaughtered, the fridges are full, the ice machine is working overtime, and I plan to put both the pool and my hosting skills through their paces as we welcome wave after wave of family and summer guests. I will then take visiting relatives from the UK on a North Island road trip, eating our way through the Cuisine Good Food Guide, NZ’s true star-studded map of where to eat, and will be doing my best to convince them that emigrating to New Zealand is an excellent idea.

Editor-at-Large Shayne Currie is one of New Zealand’s most experienced senior journalists and media leaders. He has held executive and senior editorial roles at NZME including Managing Editor, NZ Herald Editor and Herald on Sunday Editor and has a small shareholding in NZME.