It had been a long day of travelling by the time Ben Gardiner pulled up to Tūrangawaewae Marae in the early hours of a Friday morning in October 2017, and as he entered a pitch black room looking for a bed, he had to be careful not to disturb the rugby league superstars sleeping on the floor around him.
It was an abrupt introduction to a rugby league camp built around Māori culture, coming after Gardiner was a late call-up to join the Kiwis as an assistant coach for that year's World Cup, but one he embraced, right down to the custom of sleeping on the Marae floor.
That spoke volumes of the man who next February will become the first Australian to coach the Māori All Stars, an appointment he has been working towards for years.
Since 2017 Gardiner has served as an assistant coach with the Kiwis, working under both former coach David Kidwell and now Michael Maguire, and he’s been part of the Māori All Stars’ last three campaigns in an assistant role as well.
Every try from All Stars
At every chance along the way he's made a concerted effort to learn about the culture and the people in those teams.
“That first Kiwis camp is where I started to learn about the culture of the New Zealand people, which carried into my time with the All Stars as well,” Gardiner told NRL.com.
“The All Stars is a slightly different camp to the Kiwis. We really make sure that in that week there is a lot of cultural exploration, and we spend a lot of time on players’ stories, their journeys.
"There are heavy hearts, and all of that stuff makes sure that our camp reverts back to their roots.
This is a privilege and a real responsibility this role, to do this job and represent the Māori people in the best way I can.
Ben Gardiner
“I have been working with this team for three years and it’s always been a brilliant experience in the way the players approach the week.
“One thing I know about the players is that there is a level of respect that needs to be built, and that comes through actions. It’s been good to build that respect through my time with the Kiwis and the All Stars.
“It’s something I am really happy to say I have been able to earn.”
Of the four fixtures played between the Indigenous All Stars and Māori All Stars, the latter have the head-to-head edge with two wins, while the Indigenous have one win and the 2021 game ended in a draw.
The 2023 event will mark the first time the Harvey Norman Rugby League All Stars has been staged outside of Australia, giving both the Māori men’s and women’s sides added motivation to get the job done on home soil at the Rotorua International Stadium.
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While he is relishing the chance to coach the side, Gardiner, who will work as an assistant to Ivan Cleary at the Panthers in 2023, openly shares his hope that a Māori coach will take his job in the future.
Previously Stacey Jones and David Kidwell, who are both Māori, held the role.
Former Kiwis Adam Blair and Issac Luke have been brought in as assistants for the campaign, while Gardiner also plans to involve a handful of New Zealand-based coaches and former players.
“When I was offered the role I said that I needed to be really careful to select the right guys to be assistant coaches and skills coaches, and this is about developing people to take on these roles long term," Gardiner said.
“'Blairy' and 'Bully' (Luke) will be perfect. They’ve been in camp, they understand the mana required here and they also understand what it means to be high performance.
Preparation to execution: The Maori haka
“We are going to bring a couple of other guys from New Zealand to be part of it as well.
“We are making sure there are Māori rolling through, ready to take on this role in the future. I would like to think there will be a Māori person coaching this team again in the years to come, with staff able to fill those roles."