The Crusaders’ chief executive, Colin Mansbridge, has rejected calls to sack coach Rob Penney despite the team’s poor start to the Super Rugby season.
The Crusaders, who have won seven Super Rugby titles in a row, are currently languishing at the bottom of the table with only one win from their opening eight games.
Some fans and commentators have called for Penney to be sacked, but Mansbridge said that would not be a logical move.
“When you think logically about it, what are your options? That’s not a very clever option, no matter how bad things get,” Mansbridge told local broadcaster Newstalk ZB.
Mansbridge said he accepted criticism from fans “because they are emotionally invested.”
“But from commentators, I think it’s childish, frankly,” he said.
Mansbridge said that he had seen no evidence that sacking a coach leads to improved results.
“There’ll be an exception that proves the rule, but generally it makes no difference, and in fact, probably things get worse,” he said.
