Vern Cotter

Vern Cotter takes charge of the Queensland Reds for 2027, arriving from the Blues, whom he led to the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific title.

Vern Cotter becomes head coach of the Queensland Reds for the 2027 and 2028 seasons, announced in January 2026 on a two-year deal. He has not yet coached a match for the club — he was head coach of the Blues throughout 2026, and the Reds were led through that season by Les Kiss, who departed for the Wallabies job.

Born in January 1962, he was a back-row forward for Counties Manukau and Bay of Plenty across roughly a decade, then played club rugby in France. He was never capped.

A long and well-travelled career

He won the Ranfurly Shield with Bay of Plenty for the first time in that union’s history in 2004, then was Crusaders forwards coach for two Super titles. His eight years at Clermont brought the club’s first ever Top 14 title in 2010 and a European Challenge Cup. He coached Scotland from 2014 to 2017, becoming the professional era’s most successful Scotland coach, then Montpellier and Fiji, before taking the Blues in 2023 and winning Super Rugby Pacific in 2024.

Style

Hard-edged, forwards-first and set-piece oriented, built on physicality, discipline and standards rather than expansive attacking systems. The nickname — Stern Vern — is well earned.

As a player Back-row forward. Counties Manukau and Bay of Plenty across roughly a decade, then club rugby in France with Rumilly, Lourdes, Saint-Junien and Castelnau-Madiran. Never capped.