Overview
- New Zealand Rugby selected Rennie over Jamie Joseph after a rigorous seven-week process, with chair David Kirk citing Rennie’s international experience and articulated game plan as decisive.
- Rennie, 62, becomes the first All Blacks head coach of Pasifika heritage through his Cook Islands lineage.
- He will honor his Kobe Steelers contract and is expected to link up in June to prepare for a home series against France, Italy and Ireland.
- A demanding slate awaits with four Tests against Rassie Erasmus’ Springboks later this year, including three in South Africa and a fourth in Baltimore.
- Rennie signaled he will appoint his own coaching staff in the coming weeks and will prioritize fundamentals and culture after last season’s review and Robertson’s exit.