‘Recently retired’ All Black to sit on New Zealand Rugby panel to pick next All Blacks coach
Monday, 26 January 2026
New Zealand Rugby chair David Kirk, board member Keven Mealamu, high-performance expert Don Tricker, interim chief executive Steve Lancaster and a “recently retired” All Blacks player will be on the panel to pick the next All Blacks coach.
NZ Rugby revealed those details on Monday as the process to find Scott Robertson’s replacement moves to the next stage.
The identity of the former All Black to join the panel has not been confirmed, NZ Rugby said, but the likes of Sam Whitelock, Sam Cane and Dane Coles are understood be options.
The involvement of a recently retired All Black - as opposed to a former coach - will be a hot topic given the narrative that Robertson was partly toppled by player power, but it is not uncommon.
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For example, former Blues hooker James Parsons, who now has a role with the New Zealand Rugby Players Association, was on the panel that selected new Black Ferns coach Whitney Hansen.
NZ Rugby also announced a significant change to the previous process that saw Robertson appointed to the role.
It said that it “will invite New Zealand coaches with international head coaching experience to apply” - something that would have ruled out Robertson as a candidate.
The list of eligible candidates has therefore been narrowed to Jamie Joseph (Japan), Dave Rennie (Australia), Vern Cotter (Scotland, Fiji), Warren Gatland (Wales), Wayne Pivac (Wales), Ian Foster (New Zealand), Steve Hansen (New Zealand), Pat Lam (Samoa) and Robbie Deans (Australia), with current Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt already out of the running.
Joseph, Rennie and Cotter would appear to be the frontrunners, although a combination of two of that trio would give the All Blacks instant credibility due to their combined experience and nous.
NZ Rugby said the appointment panel will then shortlist and interview candidates before a final decision is made by the NZ Rugby board.
NZ Rugby interim chief executive Steve Lancaster said in a statement: “The All Blacks head coach is an incredibly important appointment.
“We’ve started the process and are giving it the care and urgency it deserves to set the team up for success. We’ll provide further updates as soon as we can.”
The Post understands that while NZ Rugby is reluctant to provide a timeline for the appointment, it is hoped that the new coach will be confirmed by the end of March if not sooner.
Super Rugby Pacific starts on February 13 with a clash between the Highlanders and Crusaders.