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It’s not just players on the move this season - the rugby coaching circuit is equally alive the activity. Ever since Scott ‘Razor’ Robertson became the first ever All Blacks coach to be sacked in January of 2026, a chain reaction has been building across the world. Here are just some of the moving parts to this puzzle…
It is now a little over 2 weeks since the bombshell news Scott Robertson had been relieved of his duties as New Zealand men’s head coach. At the time, many expected his replacement would be appointed swiftly with some speculating the NZRU already had someone in mind.
However, events since the announcement have suggested that the decision is far from made. First, the union published the criteria that any applicant to the vacant role must fulfil to be considered. The most revealing of these was that the new coach must have international head coaching experience, something Robertson himself did not have.
Secondly, the sheer number of names being linked to the job suggests NZRU genuinely have an open mind as to who should come in. One contender, Vern Cotter, has already been ruled out after signing on to take over from Les Kiss at Queensland Reds in Super Rugby. Even so, the list of candidates is still lengthy:
Jamie Joseph: the initial favourite for the job, Jospeh is already in the NZRU stable as head coach of the Highlanders and of the All Blacks XV. Many speculated that his appointment to the latter role was a way of the Union turning up the heat under Robertson last year.
Dave Rennie: A man who many feel was hard done by at his last international job with Australia, given neither of his successors have matched his performance since. He currently coaches in Japan with Kobe Steelers, who he guided to the League 1 play-offs for the first time in 7 years last season and currently has them 3rd after 6 games.
Joe Schmidt: The current Australia coach is expected to step away from rugby later this year when he hands the reigns over to Les Kiss after the July tests. However, as a proud kiwi and a man who has stepped into the All Blacks breach before in 2022, he is seen by some as a strong candidate. That said, his Wallabies side collapsed after the 2025 Lions Tour, looking tactically inept at times.
Steve Hansen/Ian Foster: This one has prompted a huge reaction on social media. The former All Black coaches have reportedly been invited to apply for the vacant role by NZRU directly. If true, the implications are huge; it suggests the union have low confidence in the other candidates and are considering playing it safe. Hansen has been out of the test arena since 2015 and has been somewhat outspoken on the modern game since. Foster, it must be remembered, was considered a failure as All Blacks coach when he left in 2023. The two men currently work together in Japan coaching Toyota Verblitz, where they have just a 25% win rate.
What makes the process even more contentious is the NZRU boss who fired Robertson and will have a say in appointing his successor in Mark Robinson is set to depart NZRU in May to work for World Rugby. Robinson tenure at NZRU has been panned in some quarters, but he will not be present when the new coach takes charge of his first game against France in July.
What the All Blacks coach hunt has shown us is that there are multiple test level coaches on the market. If the unsuccessful applicants are still looking for a new project for next season, there is a growing list of club sides seeking a new head coach. Here are just some of the jobs on the market:
Harlequins: within 24hrs of Scott Robertson leaving New Zealand, PREM strugglers Harlequins went public in both the Times and the Telegraph saying they wanted him. They have also been linked with Rennie and have made no secret of the ambition to bring in a top level head coach for next season. From a lifestyle point of view, if nothing else, a house in Richmond and a generous pay packet would be enough to catch the attention of any coach - hence no fewer than 6 names have been publicly linked so far, the latest being former Wallabies & Leicester coach Michael Cheika.
Benetton: last week, Benetton’s head coach Calum MacRae announced his exit at the end of the current season. The Treviso based team have been underperforming in the URC over the last couple of years considering their star-studded quad and relatively high budget. It’s a project with potential for the right coach, and there’s a natural pathway to the Italy job if it goes well.
Newcastle: the RedBull revolution in the Northeast is already seeing huge investment with 18 signings announced in January alone. The have already dispensed with one Director of Rugby in Steve Diamond and are known to be in the market for a top-class replacement. Intriguingly, current head coach Alan Dickens has recently admitted he is out of contract at the end of the season and has not been involved in the recent recruitment drive, suggesting he is not part of RedBulls’ long-term plans. Gregor Townsend is already working on a consultancy basis whilst highly rated former Wales attack coach Steven Jones is already in the building and could be promoted to the head coach role. Newcastle are one of the few jobs in rugby where a coach knows there is money to spend, which will surely attract top applicants.
Scarlets: Welsh rugby remains in turmoil and none of the regions have announced new signings so far this season. However, with the Ospreys currently looking the most likely to be the team that is cut, the other 3 are looking more secure. The Scarlets have shows signs of improvement since Nigel Davies returned as director of rugby, but so far there is no suggestion he will continue beyond the end of this season. It is clear that a role more senior than head coach Dwayne Peel is needed in Llanelli and in the current market the club could be in a position to pick up a big name.
Of the above, arguably Newcastle is the most attractive proposition. Each of these teams has the potential for success and if they are smart will be emailing the unlucky candidates the day the All B lacks new head coach is announced.
One of the more unexpected players in the the rugby coaching market is French 2nd division club Brive. Brive have the biggest budget of any ProD2 side, spending the best part of 5 million euros on player salaries last season. However, they are yet to see the return on that investment having failed to gain promotion to the TOP 14 and currently sit 6th in the table, nearly 30 points off top club Vannes.
And yet, they continue to be linked with big names. Their current coaches have just been appointed to take over from Richard Cockerill at Georgia, meaning the club has a job to fill. Cockerill himself has been linked in what would constitute a straight swap of coaches between Brive and Georgia whilst England forwards coach Joe El-Abt was linked earlier this season before the RFU confirmed he was to stay as part of Steve Bortwick’s backroom staff.
A move intriguing rumour is current Bayonne coach Gregory Patat. Patat had done an excellent job with the Basque team, not only stabilising them in the TOP 14 but getting them to a league semi-final last season. However, recent performances and results have been poor and there are signs of turmoil within the club. It is widely known that Patat and the team manager Laurent Travers openly dislike each other whilst the club owner, Philippe Tayeb, reportedly said he didn’t rate Patat as a coach. Therefore, all signs point towards Patat leaving. If he does, Brive makes somewhat of a logical next destination.
Another TOP 14 coach who could be on the way out is Munster legend Ronan O’Gara. It has been a trying week off the pitch for the Maritimes with prop Uini Atonio being admitted to hospital and force to retire due to heart issues, but on the pitch, things aren’t much better.
The days of La Rochelle winning back-to-back European titles feel a long time ago. Their win rate over the last 1 and a half seasons has just dropped below 50% and they were 31-0 down at home to lowly Lyon after 38 minutes last weekend.
Amongst it all, O’Gara is trying to negotiate a contract extension. Adding to the misery, the FFR recently appealed the TOP 14’s decision to ban him for 2 weeks, with the prevailing theory being they want the ban to be extended. If that occurs, O’Gara’s total bans in France will go well above 30 weeks. In this light, it feels like a bold decision to extend his contract.
Franco Smith recently signed a contract to stay at Glasgow until 2028, but his future continues to be a topic of speculation. Firstly, it is known that he interviewed for the Bulls job in the summer and rumours in Pretoria are that he was very frustrated not to get it. Secondly, he is known to be unhappy with the restrictions being placed on recruitment at Glasgow by David Nucifora. Thirdly, there are still plenty of people who would are very keen to see Smith replace Gregor Townsend in the Scotland job.
So, we know that Smith’s stock is sky high thanks to the continued excellence of Glasgow, and we know that he has recently been fishing for jobs. Therefore, if Nucifora continues to restrict him and ‘bigger’ jobs continue to become available, Smith will continue to be linked to them. Unquestionably, he would be a fantastic appointment to any team.