Incoming All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson raided the New Zealand Super Rugby Pacific teams for his coaching team.
This left the Crusaders, Hurricanes and Blues without a head coach ahead of next season.
The Super Rugby sides are now scrambling to find replacements ahead of the 2024 season, and several top coaches have been linked to the roles.
Robertson’s All Blacks backroom team will include current Blues head coach Leon MacDonald, Hurricanes head coach Jason Holland, and Crusaders assistant Scott Hansen. Finally, Jason Ryan is already with the national team and will remain once Ian Foster departs.
Hurricanes job
A report by the New Zealand Herald describes the scenario as ‘fast-moving’ as the Hurricanes line up three internationally experienced candidates to replace Holland at the Super Rugby Pacific side.
Current All Blacks’ defence coach Scott McLeod, who will leave the set-up along with Foster, is one of the Wellington-based side’s contenders, as is former All Blacks’ attack coach Brad Mooar.
Long-serving New Zealand sevens boss Clark Laidlaw is set to make the switch to XVs permanent and is another candidate for the role.
The report adds that the Canes are also needing to replace Chris Gibbes, who will be taking a break from rugby. He was viewed a a potential replacement for Holland.
Blues candidates
As for the Blues, they are considering former La Rochelle boss Jono Gibbes following his departure from Clermont. This comes after Joe Schmidt turned down the Auckland-based side’s advances as well as other top roles. Schmidt is understood to be in line to replace David Nucifora as Irish Rugby’s Performance director but is also open to a consultancy role with the Blues.
Gibbes led La Rochelle to their maiden Champions Cup title in 2021, operating as the club’s director of rugby with Ronan O’Gara as head coach. He moved to Clermont ahead of the 2021/22 season and was tasked with rebuilding the Top 14. However, he was abruptly released from his role in January.
Vern Cotter is the other big name linked with the Blues after he resigned from his role with Fiji.
The Blues also missed out on Dave Rennie, who has opted to take up a role with the Kobelco Kobe Steelers instead of returning to Super Rugby Pacific.
The Herald adds that Robertson’s replacement remains ‘unresolved’, but they have moved to add club legend Matt Todd to their coaching ranks. Following his retirement, Todd took charge of Canterbury’s defence in the NPC.
Previous reports linked Leinster attack guru Andrew Goodman with a return to the Crusaders. The Irishman left the Saders after the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season to join Leinster.
The 40-year-old enjoyed a successful stint in New Zealand with Tasman and the Crusaders and is understood to be a strong contender to fill Robertson’s void.
Not in the mix
After missing out on the All Blacks’ top job, it is believed that Jamie Joseph has also opted to stay in Japan. He is set to vacate his role as Japan’s head coach after the Rugby World Cup before taking up a position at the Shizuoka Blue Revs.
John Plumtree was understood to be in talks for several roles in New Zealand but has since been unveiled as the Sharks’ new head coach.
The Reds are also in the market for a new head coach and could rival New Zealand sides for their targets. The Australian side have been linked to former Crusaders boss Robbie Deans, who has won five of the last nine Japanese titles with Panasonic Wild Knights.
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The article Super Rugby Pacific: Contenders emerge to fill New Zealand head coach vacancies appeared first on Planetrugby.com.
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