Brighton & Hove Albion have added All Blacks rugby union servant Mike Anthony to their backroom staff.
Anthony will begin work in February as the club’s head of player development and high performance, subject to work permit clearance.
The 54-year-old has worked for New Zealand rugby for a total of 17 years across two spells in a variety of roles, including head of high performance and strength and conditioning coaching with the three-time world champions. He is returning to the UK following four years as head of strength and conditioning at Gloucester rugby club from 2004-2008.
Anthony will work closely with sporting director Jason Ayto, technical director Mike Cave and men’s head coach Fabian Hurzeler. His role is aimed at supporting the club’s bid to keep building and sustaining elite performance.
“His track record within one of world sport’s most successful high‑performance systems speaks for itself,” Ayto said in a club statement. “Mike has an exceptional ability to build environments where players, coaches and teams can thrive, and his expertise will strengthen every part of our performance structure.”
Anthony began his rugby career as strength and conditioning coach for New Zealand clubs Canterbury and Crusaders. He worked with the All Blacks and New Zealand Sevens programmes, returning to the national set-up after his four-year stint with Gloucester.
Cave said: “Mike’s experience in developing players and high-performing teams at the very top level is rare. He has spent decades shaping elite cultures and helping athletes maximise their potential.”
What can Anthony bring to Brighton?
Hurzeler believes football can learn from elements of top level rugby. He has read a book about the All Blacks, “Legacy: What the All Blacks Can Teach Us About the Business of Life” by James Kerr. It details the idea of keeping a calm and focused “blue head” in difficult moments, rather than a “red head” driven by overwhelming intensity, in order to deal with pressure.
Hurzeler visited England rugby’s training camp in November 2025, noting different approaches which included the head coach watching from the stands instead of on the touchline. “I love to learn from different kinds of sports,” said Hurzeler, speaking in March 2025. “Especially rugby here is much bigger than in Germany so I follow it even more.
“I think rugby teams show a lot of togetherness, they are quite good with their mindset and how they take responsibility, especially the individual players.”
The addition of Anthony is the latest part of a ‘2030 vision’ of how the club can kick on again over the next five years. The overview of all departments by chief executive Paul Barber was ratified by the Brighton board at last summer’s annual general meeting.
Technical director David Weir was replaced by Ayto from Arsenal as the club’s new sporting director in September 2025. That was followed in December by The Athletic revealing the exit of head of medicine Florian Pfab.