After successfully campaigning to win his dream promotion as All Blacks head coach, Scott 'Razor' Robertson is shifting his focus to another cause – one that's also close to his heart but for very different reasons.
Robertson is the official ambassador for New Zealand's Gut Foundation, a charitable trust established to advance education around gut diseases and improve diagnosis rates and treatment.
Every day, three New Zealanders die of bowel cancer, making it the country's second highest cause of death.
One of his closest friends falling victim to the disease prompted Robertson to step up and do his part for the cause, helping raise awareness for one of the nation's silent killers.
"A friend of mine passed away with it a few years ago and so it's dear to my heart, as he was," Robertson told AM. "What a hell of a man he was.
"I just wanted to make sure I could support it.
"It's a local foundation. The South Island has a very, very high rate of gut issues and they're not sure why, so there's a research component and a practical component."
Gut Foundation now offers CT colonography - a less invasive method of screening for stomach diseases such as bowel cancer and coeliac disease, which Robertson trialled firsthand.
"It's a scan of your gut that tells you how it's all working – it's a different way of getting tested," he said.
"If I was going to promote it, I knew I wanted to do it myself to make sure I could properly give the feedback, see how good it is for you as an alternative."
Another critical aspect in early detection of any disease related to the stomach is inspecting bowel movements.
Paying attention to your poo – specifically its colour, texture and consistency – could save your life, says Robertson.
"Poo gives you the clue what's happening," he explained.
"I can have a look at it. It gives me an early warning sign that I can go and help myself so that we can be preventative and get that message out."
Robertson officially began his new role as All Blacks head coach on November 1, taking the reins from Ian Foster.
His first point of order has been working his way through the appointment of his wider support staff, while also taking the chance to pick the brains of some of the host of departing All Blacks veterans.
"Now it's time to get around the grounds – talk to people, get a lot of information of the guys who are currently in there and who are leaving," he said.
"I've spent a lot of time talking with those individuals and getting lots of bits of gold out for what they believe it required for the All Blacks moving forward."
Robertson's first assignment will be in the July test window against Fiji, before a two-test series against England.
For more information on how you can prevent and detect stomach disease, click here.
