Robertson played domestically for Bay of Plenty before moving to Canterbury and the Crusaders. From 1998 through 2002, he played 23 international matches for the All Blacks, scoring four tries. He later moved to Europe, where he played for a number of clubs, including Ards and Perpignan. He eventually moved to Japan where he played for the Ricoh Black Rams, before retiring in 2007.
Coaching career
Robertson became the head coach at Sumner Rugby Club in Christchurch, New Zealand. In 2004 he was active in establishing an under 19 team at Sumner. Coaches Richard Notley and Paul Fremeaux were appointed. The Under 19 side progressed to colts level. Ben Richdale, captain of the U.19/Colts was part of the Sumner Wave side that gained promotion to section 1 Canterbury Metro. After working as the assistant coach of the Canterbury Rugby Football Union for five years under, respectively, head coaches Rob Penney and Tabai Matson, Robertson was appointed Canterbury's head coach in 2013, when they won the Final in the Premiership Division of the ITM Cup. Under his guidance, Canterbury won the competition again in 2015. In 2014, the NZ Rugby Union appointed Robertson as head coach of the New Zealand Under-20 Rugby team, which subsequently won the 2015 World Rugby Under 20 Championship in Italy. Robertson coached the New Zealand Under-20 Rugby team to the 2016 World Rugby Under 20 Championship in Manchester, where they failed to make the play-offs. In June 2016, Robertson was appointed head coach for the Crusaders for the 2017-2019 Super Rugby seasons. During the 2017 season Robertson captured a Super Rugby title with a 25-17 victory over the Lions, becoming only the second first-year coach to win a championship after Dave Rennie in 2012 with conference rivals the Chiefs. On 4 August 2018 he achieved a second straight Super Rugby title with his Crusaders team again defeating the Lions 37-18, again following in the footsteps of Rennie being the second rookie coach to win 2 titles in 2 seasons. Third time again winning the Super Rugby title 2019 against Jaguares 19-3. In winning the Crusaders' third successive title, Robertson became the first "rookie" Super Rugby coach to win 3 successive titles in their first three seasons as a head coach. The last time a team won three titles in a row was the Crusaders as well between 1998 & 2000, where Wayne Smith led them to two championships before taking up a role with the All Blacks, Robbie Deans would then claim the third title in 2000 beginning one of the most successful periods in the franchise's history.
