Dave Rennie

Dave Rennie is the head coach of New Zealand, appointed in March 2026 in place of Scott Robertson on a contract that runs to the 2027 Rugby World Cup. He is one of the most travelled coaches in the game, and one of the few to have won trophies in three different countries.

Born in Upper Hutt in 1963 and of Cook Islands descent through his mother, Rennie never played Test rugby. A centre and wing for Wellington, his career was ended at 27 by a recurring shoulder injury, and he went into teaching before coaching full time.

A record built on development

He coached Wellington to the 2000 NPC title, then Manawatu, before taking New Zealand Under-20 to three consecutive world titles between 2008 and 2010 — a run that made his name and seeded much of the next All Blacks generation. Back-to-back Super Rugby championships with the Chiefs in 2012 and 2013 followed, then four seasons at Glasgow Warriors and three years as Australia head coach from 2020.

The Wallabies job was his hardest. He left in 2023 without the results the role demanded, and rebuilt at Kobelco Kobe Steelers in Japan, ending the club’s title drought by winning Japan Rugby League One in 2026.

Style

Rennie’s teams play with the ball. He is openly sceptical of aimless kicking and builds attacking shape around high tempo and quick ruck ball, and he is known for empowering players and investing heavily in culture and young talent rather than in tight top-down control. That philosophy is the reason New Zealand Rugby went to him.

He completed his commitments at Kobe before taking charge for the July 2026 home series, winning his first Test 34–32 against France in Christchurch on 4 July.