Rob Penney will coach the Crusaders in 2024.
He has been appointed as a replacement for Scott Robertson, who will replace outgoing All Blacks coach Ian Foster after the World Cup in France.
Penney, who will join the Crusaders from August 1, had previously been involved with the franchise when he worked as one of Robbie Deans’ assistants in 2005. A former coach of the Canterbury provincial team, Penney guided the side to four consecutive NPC titles between 2008 and 2011. He has most recently been the head coach of the NTT Communications Shining Arcs club in Japan.
When Penney played for Canterbury he was known as a rugged loose forward, and played more than 100 games between 1985 and 1994. It’s understood Waikato coach and Chiefs assistant Ross Filipo and former Scotland and Fiji coach Vern Cotter were also short-listed for the Crusaders job. Both had been involved with the Crusaders in different roles. Filipo, a former All Blacks lock, had played under Deans, while Cotter had been an assistant to Deans in 2005 and 2006.
The Crusaders are also understood to have been in contact with former attack coach Andrew Goodman, who left the franchise to join Irish powerhouse club Leinster last year. Despite the interest from his old franchise, Goodman elected to remain in Ireland.
Penney’s team of assistants has also been confirmed. Former All Blacks flanker Matt Todd, who was a member of Penney’s squad when he coached Canterbury, joins Tamati Ellison, Dan Perrin and James Marshall on the coaching staff.
Penney has an extensive coaching CV, having coached the New Zealand under-20s team in 2012. He left the country to coach Irish club Munster between 2012 and 2014, and later joined the NTT Shining Arcs in Japan.
When Penney coached Canterbury he was instrumental in welcoming Robertson on to his coaching staff. Robertson has always been grateful to Penney for providing him with the opportunity.
Penney’s first foray into Super Rugby as a head coach with the Waratahs in 2020, ended with him being dismissed by the club’s board early in the 2021 season after five consecutive losses.
Despite being lumbered with an inexperienced squad, Penney was unable to convince the Waratahs management he be allowed to rebuild the club.
Penney is currently the head coach of the Japan under-20 team that will play in the world championship in South Africa later this month.
Meanwhile the Chiefs Rugby Club today announced that Roger Randle and David Hill will continue in their coaching roles to the end of 2026.
Their contract extensions align with that of head coach Clayton McMillan who confirmed earlier in the season that he would be remaining with the Gallagher Chiefs for another three years.
Randle and Hill played alongside each other at the Chiefs from 2001-2003, as well as for the All Blacks in the early 2000s. Randle was a speedy winger, also playing for the All Black Sevens, and Hill a quality first-five and goal kicker.
Randle began as the assistant backs coach for the Gallagher Chiefs in 2018, later shifting into the attack coach role. He has over 10 years of coaching experience, including assistant coaching positions for Waikato and the Māori All Blacks.
Formerly an assistant coach for Bay of Plenty and New Zealand Under 20s, in 2020 Hill returned to the Chiefs Rugby Club as an assistant coach. Hill has also been a part of the All Blacks coaching group as a kicking specialist, and will continue this role for the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
At the Hurricanes All Blacks Sevens coach Clark Laidlaw has been named as the new coach of the Hurricanes men’s team.
Laidlaw will take over the reins for next year from Jason Holland, who will be an assistant coach to Scott Robertson with the All Blacks.
Laidlaw, 45, has been in charge of the All Blacks Sevens since 2018, achieving gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, silver at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, gold at the Rugby World Cup sevens in 2018 and World Rugby Sevens titles in 2020 and this year. Laidlaw has been at the Hurricanes before, having been assistant coach to Mark Hammett and Chris Boyd between 2013 and 2015.
Former Wallabies coach Dave Rennie has turned down the Blues for the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific season.
Rennie turned down the offer in favour of a move overseas, where he has been linked with Japanese club Kobe.
Should Rennie sign a deal with Kobe, he would join forces once again with club mentor and former Black Ferns Director of Rugby Wayne Smith, who formerly assisted Rennie during his six-year stint with the Chiefs.
Together the pair won two titles back-to-back in 2012 and 2013, a record that puts Rennie near the top of the New Zealand rugby history books for his success as a rookie coach.
Rennie is beaten only by Robertson, who has won six titles back-to-back with the Crusaders since his Super Rugby coaching debut in 2017.
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 Top 14 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. Vern missed out at the Crusaders so he will be still interested in the Blues job.
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 with Brad Thorne resigning recently 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.
Moana Pasifika will need a new head coach also as Aron Mauger has stepped aside to concentrate on his family.
Comments