Sonny Bill Williams has suggested that a Māori or Pacific Island coach should come in to the All Blacks coaching lineup, with Friday's match to be Hansen and his team's last time in charge of the team.
As the All Blacks now prepare for the Rugby World Cup's bronze medal match against Wales in Tokyo, Hansen is getting ready for his final Test as head coach, having been involved in various roles with New Zealand since 2004.
Naturally, speculation is rife as to who could potentially fill Hansen's shoes in, arguably, the most desirable job in world rugby, the likes of Scott Robertson, Ian Foster and Jamie Joseph's names all being thrown around by fans and commentators alike. Other coaching roles could also open up.
Williams wants someone to come in who is representative of New Zealand's diverse, multicultural society.
"For myself, there's a lot of coaches that'll be leaving this year," Williams said.
"One thing that I'd probably put to the NZRU, [is that] it would be good to see a Pacific Islander or a Māori in the coaching system that would have a bit of influence.
"The way that the game's going and it is today, there's a lot of island boys, a lot of Māori boys that play for the All Blacks, and I'm just thinking how we can get the best out of those boys.
"I know that there's a bit of space there for that growth."
New Zealand Rugby boss Steve Tew said earlier today that Hansen's replacement will be revealed before Christmas.
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