Last updated 07:38, June 27 2018
STUFF
All Blacks great and former Blues coach Sir John Kirwan has maintained his love of rugby after stepping away from coaching.
All Blacks great and former Blues coach Sir John Kirwan has maintained his love of rugby after stepping away from coaching.
Sir John Kirwan's rugby coaching days appear to be over.
The All Blacks great has reflected on his time with a clipboard that involved head coaching roles with Japanese club NEC, national teams Japan and Italy, the British Barbarians and New Zealand Super Rugby strugglers the Blues.
"I never say never, but I'm not planning on coaching again," Kirwan told 66 magazine in a lengthy profile piece on the 53-year-old.
Sir John Kirwan says coaching the Blues was his "dream job".
Kirwan's three-year tenure at the Blues ended in 2015 with his passion and skills unable to lift the three-time champions out of their slump.
TV rugby pundit Sir John Kirwan chats with All Blacks coach Steve Hansen during the just-completed series against France.
Kirwan has kept involved in rugby as a TV pundit and has dedicated increasing time to his mental health crusade.
Part of that role includes being the health and wellness ambassador for the Giltrap Group, with the Kiwi motor industry giant backing some of New Zealand's best young racing drivers.
His Super Rugby coaching experience clearly hit hard. Kirwan makes no excuses for his inability to turn things around at the Blues though he would have liked more time.
Sir John Kirwan is enjoying taking his mental health message to young audiences.
"I worked all my life to get my dream job and I failed," proud Aucklander Kirwan said.
"It was horrible. I wasn't sleeping. I'd made a lot of mistakes but it was a five-year turnaround not a three-year turnaround."
The Blues finished 10th (3rd in the New Zealand conference) in 2013, 10th (5th in the conference) in 2014, and 14th in 2015 (5th in the conference) under the legendary winger.
Kirwan takes the knock on the chin and puts it down to life experience.
"I've always taken the opportunities that have been presented and that hasn't always been easy. I've been scared at times, totally out of my depth. But all those experiences have helped me grow."
Kirwan saw personal pluses out of his Blues coaching experience.
"The Blues was one of the best things to happen to me, it just didn't work out. It was a testing time for me, my mental health and my career. After that experience I took some time off to realise what I would do.
"I love the game. I still love the Blues. The game has given me everything, so how can you turn your back on a game that has given you everything and not still love it?"
He is putting plenty of energy into trying to help address New Zealand's alarmingly high rate of youth suicide.