Gilbert Enoka: The All Blacks' Mind Coach on Pressure, Loss & What Actually Builds a Team (Re-Release)
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Who is Gilbert Enoka and what is his role with the All Blacks?
Women down with the
This week on Between Two Bears, we're re-releasing one of our favorite episodes that we recorded in 2025 with Gilbert Anoka. Gilbert is the All Blacks' longtime mental skills coach, and in this one shares his best insights of New Zealand rugby's culture, resilience, and leadership. Across 23 years, 304 tests, and two World Cup victories, Gilbert worked with coaches and players like Sir Graham Henry, Sir Steve Hanson, Ian Foster. And legends like Richie McCaw, Dan Carter, and Tana Urmanger. When this was recorded, Gilbert had stopped working with the All Blacks when Scott Robertson was the coach, but now he's back in the fold with Dave Rennie. You'll love this one, it's packed with so many gems. Between Two Bears is proudly brought to you by One New Zealand.
We believe that One New Zealand connects New Zealand, or Between Two Bears connects New Zealanders, and together we are New Zealand's most trusted connection platform. This episode is also Also brought to you by TAB. Update your TAB app to experience faster and easier sports bidding R18 bit responsibly. And Seamus and I are also proud to be dressed by Barkers. Check out their range at Barkersonline.co.nz.
Enjoy.
Gilbert Anoka, welcome to Between Two Bears. Thank you very much. Thank you for having me.
We're very excited to have you in studio. It's a Sunday morning to timestamp this, the all blacks have just lost. Uh the first question I had was you're still so closely linked to all these players. D does your thinking go straight to how they're gonna be dealing with the aftermath of that in Argentina?
Yes. Um, in the car on the way over here I was just charging and chartering a text message. I try and keep the contact and connection consistent really. So win, lose, whatever, I'll always text, always respond. Not to everyone, just targeted people that I have a a good and solid close relationship with and understand how they will feel. And um, you know, just help them move through what happens next really.
Have you had a chance to fire those all off or are they still are they still drafted in the edit phase?
I filed I filed some off before we we got here. So I kinda like to get in early on that.
What sort of language do you use in those messages? Like
Yeah. Not not emotional. Um, you know, just you know, it's uh trying not to make it bigger than it is. You know, try and those sort of situations what you don't want people to do is just get stuck and you can't change it. You know, so you've got to just move on to what's next and keep it contained and keep everyone intact. So You gotta do that yourself first. And you help them to do that, then you do it for your mate and for your brother. And uh Don't ease the paint, um to be fair, uh, but it just helps you get through the the different waves when they come.
Historically, when you've been in that situation, have you been the one that people make a beeline to straight away? Or are you how does that what what what did that
look like for you? Well not not really. Um well yes and no. Um most people go internal. You know, uh where they just get S inside their own feelings really. So it takes a while to catch up to the reality when you walk into an all black shed Um, you've lost the game done heaven off and to be fair. And you sit down and and there's just an airy silence. You know, people uh captured in their own the weight of their own thoughts. And that's when the leaders normally gotta step up step up. I tend to just hover, watch. Not much you can say to people in those moments. You just gotta let 'em ride through it themselves. And um you learn to know what people do like, what they don't like. Um, you know, some people go up and put their arm around some people and you can see the players shivering like this and saying, you know, this is the last thing they want but
Um I kinda um a casual look. Um uh uh uh the eye movements as we know. Um and the people that uh quite often you don't have to tell someone what you feel for them to understand how you feel.
Mm.
And it's in those moments that that sense of connection and and belonging are the strongest when
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
Who is Gilbert Enoka and what is his role with the All Blacks?
0:03–13:09
2
How did Gilbert’s orphanage upbringing shape his ability to read people?
13:09–29:54
3
What motivated Gilbert to write *Become Unstoppable* and share his methods?
29:54–45:55
4
How does Gilbert help the All Blacks handle pressure and loss after a defeat?
45:55–1:00:39
5
What is the ‘no‑Dickheads’ policy and how did it change team standards?
1:00:39–1:16:25
6
How did the ‘human library’ of legends influence the 2023 All Blacks squad?
1:16:25–1:30:05
7
What lessons did Gilbert bring from his work with Chelsea and other sports?
1:30:05–1:41:33
8
What does Gilbert say about maintaining a long‑lasting marriage and family life?
1:41:33–1:53:08
Speakers
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