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'We've lost the courage to be brave': Former All Blacks captain's political challenge
Regan Harrison • July 8th, 2026 4:45 pm
Taine Randell | Photo: Photosport
For the majority of New Zealanders, Taine Randell is remembered as the 23 year old who captained the All Blacks through one of the toughest periods in the team's history.
Almost 25 years later, the former skipper is taking on a new challenge, this time as a candidate for New Zealand First in the Hawke’s Bay electorate of Tukitiki in the 2026 general election.
Randell, born and bred in Flaxmere, insisted on Sport Nation's Millsy & Guy, politics was never his intended path - but his growing concerns over the future of young Kiwis, and them being able to stay and live in their home country was a big part in convincing him to step into this field.
“I've got a couple of things I really care about. And one of them is when my grandkids, I don't have any yet, when they grow up, I want them to grow up in Hawke's Bay around the corner from where I live. Worst case in New Zealand, somewhere. I don't want to be visiting them overseas because that's where my kids see their prospects are.”
Taine Randell's shock return to rugby! | Millsy & Guy
Randell used an example around his son, explaining he has started his first job this year in a bank, explaining it’s a great job, but by the time he’s 35, he still won’t be able to afford a house.
Randell said New Zealand needs to rediscover the courage of previous generations if it wants to become prosperous again.
“We've lost the courage to be brave and we need to make some big decisions, which we're gonna have to make trade-offs if we want to be prosperous again.
“So energy, health, education, everything, yes. But there's gotta be some decisions that need to shift the dial which we gotta be brave enough to make.”
He pointed to his grandparents’ generation as the example, describing them as “Freaking tough, they were born during a war, they grew up during a depression.”
“Our grandparents built stuff, they grew stuff, and I think they were brave to do some stuff.
"There was a cost, they made the trade-off and they basically gave us an incredible country.”
Randell said that he doesn’t see himself entering politics as a career move, but a decision driven by his concern for the country’s future.
“It's not something I would have done for a job. I'm not doing it for a job, but I'm keen to do it,”
While he admitted his wife shared his concerns, she wasn’t as convinced he should be the one taking the challenge.
“My wife was pretty furious about this whole thing, how it's escalated, she agrees with my beliefs and my ‘concerns’. She just wishes someone else would do it,” Randell noted.
Taine Randell on the 2026 All Blacks | Millsy & Guy
Randell collected 51 test caps for the All Blacks between 1997 to 2002, captaining the side on 22 occasions.
Although he admits that back then, he had no idea about what leadership looked like, saying sometimes he felt out of depth - and yet despite his own reservations - he was still being selected for the black jersey.
Now, Randell believes he knows what makes a good captain or leader.
“(For) some people it's action. Probably the best thing a captain can do is inspire."
Taine says that there's also a calmness about a captain and leader, then added to this, saying there is no one rule about what makes a captain - but it’s typically someone who delivers in their own role first.
From his journey to captaining the All Blacks to his thoughts on the modern game and his move into politics, listen to the full 40-minute interview below:
