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Ryan had over 180 senior games for Christchurch club Sydenham, six games for Buller in 1999 and 14 for the West Coast from 2000 to 2003, but never made it to the Canterbury top team in an era when the province was blessed with All Blacks props Con Barrell, Greg Somerville, Greg Feek and Dave Hewett.

Ryan coached at his club and was West Coast’s scrum advisor then its assistant coach in 2012 while working for a company selling drilling and mining equipment until he got his professional coaching break.

He also volunteered for Canterbury as scrummaging skills coach before Scott Robertson signed him on as an assistant in 2013.

Ryan took a gamble in quitting his day job, but it has more than paid off.

He helped Robertson win three NPC titles in four seasons with Canterbury and has since guided the Crusaders pack to six consecutive Super Rugby titles.

After the first two Super Rugby crowns, Ryan was offered a job overseas, but turned it down, partly, he said in 2019, to remain “loyal to Razor [Robertson]”.