It's been a long time but it is almost certain that later this year New Zealand's top two winter sports teams will appoint head coaches.
Graham Henry has been coach of the All Blacks since 2004 and Ruth Aitken has been coach of the Silver Ferns since 2001.
They've been two of the great survivors. Henry is the first All Black coach of the modern era to have his contract extended beyond four years and Aitken has been at the helm since she replaced Yvonne Willering a decade ago.
Henry has been part of a phenomenally successful period of All Black rugby but the blot on his copybook is the World Cup failure in 2007. Aitken has coached the Silver Ferns to world championship glory in 2003 and gold medals at the 2006 and 2010 Commonwealth Games.
The finish line is in sight for both. It is generally expected Henry will step down after the World Cup final in Auckland on October 23 and, while Aitken's contract does not expire until next February, her major remaining goal is the world championship tournament in Singapore from July 3 to July 10.
Henry will blow out 65 candles and qualify for national super on June 8, two weeks today, and he has been coaching professionally since 1996. Aitken is 54 but she has been on the coaching treadmill for as long as many of us can remember.
There are plenty of contenders to replace them, but none are clear-cut candidates.
Steve Hansen, the All Blacks assistant, is the favourite to take the reins from Henry. He is popular with the players but not with the public or media. His taciturn style is hardly suited to such a high-profile position.
The other assistant, Wayne Smith, has already been All Black head coach and he has been with them in some capacity since 1999. He might have a place in future plans, but not as the boss.
Then there are the foreign legion of New Zealand coaches - Robbie Deans, Warren Gatland, John Mitchell and Vern Cotter - who all have sound credentials and support of varying degrees.
The replacement is unlikely to come within the ranks of the present Super 15 coaches. Todd Blackadder, of the Crusaders, has an aura about him, and Jamie Joseph, of the Highlanders, has mana.
They identify closely with the rugby public and both appeal as future All Blacks coaches, but next year is probably too soon for them.
It could be that Hansen will be given a two-year contract to give Blackadder and/or Joseph time to be groomed for the role but Hansen has already had eight years with the All Blacks and his succession to the throne of King Ted is no certainty, particularly if the All Blacks fail to win the World Cup.
Of course, the wild card is that Henry will ignore age and convention and want to carry on.
Sir Alex Ferguson is the most successful manager in English football and he will turn 70 on December 31.
Aitken's successor is far from clear-cut, too. Noeline Taurua might have been favoured before the present season but the comparative failure of the Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic - a team anchored by Silver Ferns Irene Van Dyk, Laura Langman and Casey Williams - did nothing for her cause.
She and her assistant, Marg Foster, seemed too excitable, lacked coolness and detachment in the heat of important matches and their team did not play to its potential. Waimarama Taumanu, the present assistant, must be a strong contender and the other is Robyn Broughton, who recently severed ties with the Southern Steel after taking netball in the deep south to unprecedented heights.
She is closer to 70 than 60 but she is an innovative coach who has moved with the times and she coached the Fastnet Ferns to the world title. She would bring a calm, reassuring presence to the Silver Ferns, and she has already coached most of the players at some level.
So the coaching cupboard is far from bare but there is no doubt there will be a void to fill when Ted and Ruth - hopefully with world titles under their belts - finally take their leave.
