New NZ Rugby chair Dame Patsy Reddy admits she still has a lot to learn about the national game, but she's already shown a nifty sidestep and strong fend, as she negotiates the burning issue currently facing her organisation.
The former Governor-General has been on the board only eight months, but becomes its first female chair, as NZR battles to achieve a more diverse leadership mix. She takes over from Stewart Mitchell, who will step down from the board after nine years next month.
But her arrival at the helm coincides with a tricky All Blacks coaching appointment that may not wait until after next year's World Cup, as the scramble for talent begins, with Wales and England already sacking their incumbents this week.
Ian Foster is confirmed in the All Blacks role until the tournament in France, but his employers face tough conversations over his future beyond that, with heir apparent Scott Robertson looming as a hot commodity on the international coaching market.
NZR chief executive Mark Robinson admits traditional timelines no longer apply to this appointment process - and Dame Patsy is happy to defer to the experts for now.
"Nobody here wants me to be selecting the All Blacks coach just yet," she quipped. "I don't underestimate the challenges of me coming into this role, and I'm not going to try and jump ahead.
"I've got a great six-week transition period and Stewart has been a great mentor to me in my time on the board. He's given me the confidence to be prepared to take this challenge on, but it's not something that I expected to do.
"I'm really grateful for the confidence of my board colleagues - and indeed the executive team - but they're not expecting me to pick the All Blacks team just yet or even the coach."
Quizzed on the possible timeframe for an appointment, Dame Patsy is just as elusive.
"We're in the process of talking about this, we're really comfortable with the discussions going on and we're comfortable with the executive team leading us through it," she responded. "I have no idea."
As the All Blacks suffered historic defeats to Ireland and Argentina this year, Robinson's role in Foster's retention has come under attack, but Reddy is adamant: "He's our man."
Dame Patsy, 68, is one of three women on the nine-strong board, along with former Black Ferns captain Dr Farah Palmer and Rowena Davenport - still below the 40 percent threshold mandated by Sport NZ, who has fined NZ Rugby $280,000 for failing to reach this requirement.
"It's certainly my hope that we meet our targets," she said. "We've actually got a pretty diverse board - we've got a lot of diversity of experience and thought.
"I've been on a number of boards in my time and I've never been on a board with as many women, so we are getting there. We recognise that 40 percent is the target and I would be really hopeful we get there this year."
