Alex Nankivell on the nickname his Munster teammates gave him and why
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Cranks.
Alex Nankivell has revealed why his Munster teammates gave him the nickname “Cranks” after noticing the dramatic change in his personality whenever he stepped onto the pitch.
The New Zealand-born centre is known as a relaxed and good-humoured character away from rugby, but admits he previously became far more demanding and critical during matches.
Nankivell eventually realised that his on-field frustration was affecting both his own performance and those around him, prompting a period of honest self-reflection ahead of last season.
“So before last season, I had a real deep dive into why I’m like that,” Nankivell told The Irish Times.
“I’m quite self-aware, and when I get on the pitch, I’m like one person, and when I’m off the pitch, I’m like another person. And when I’m off the pitch, I’m like, ‘why am I such a prick?’
“I looked a bit deeper than just what I was doing and looked at why I was doing it. Figuring that out helped me last year, and I think just continuing to grow that so I can completely iron that out, and the influence it has on the people around you is huge.”
The 29-year-old worked on becoming calmer and more encouraging towards his teammates, particularly within a relatively young Munster squad.
He believes adapting the way he communicates with different personalities contributed to what proved to be one of the strongest campaigns of his career.
“You’ve got to be able to adapt and change how you deal with people,” Nankivell added.
“I think it paid dividends. I felt like last year was probably one of my best seasons I’ve had as a professional. I guess that’s the reward you get for focusing on these things.”
Nankivell was subsequently named both Munster’s Player of the Season and Supporters’ Player of the Season for the 2025/26 campaign.
