Seven candidates for the vacant All Blacks head coach job

With New Zealand Rugby Chair David Kirk announcing last week that they will “cast the net wide” in search of the new All Blacks coach, it’s time to look at who may apply, and where they currently sit in the pecking order.

Kirk spoke to media last Thursday, addressing the departure of Scott Robertson and why the board had made the move in the middle of a four-year Rugby World Cup cycle.

Whoever takes over the role will be dealt a tough hand in their opening season, with a Greatest Rivalry tour and first Nations Championship campaign on the cards in 2026.

Let’s take a look at seven options, whether they are leading the chase or a long shot at the job.

Jamie Joseph – Highlanders

Joseph led the All Blacks XV in 2025 to three wins from three matches in Europe, so if that squad and role are seen as a development for the All Blacks, there’s no doubt Joseph is the leading candidate.

With growing uncertainty about whether Springboks assistant coach Tony Brown could make the move to the All Blacks, Joseph’s chances could be impeded, as the quality of his coaching group could be weakened when applying for the top job.

If the 56-year-old doesn’t get the top job this time around, you might wonder how long Joseph will continue to wait in the wings here in New Zealand.

Dave Rennie – Kobelco Kobe Steelers

The former Wallabies and Chiefs head coach has been talked about as one of the leading candidates for the role, with international experience and New Zealand familiarity a thing Rennie has over some of the other coaches.

Rennie currently coaches at the Kobe Steelers in Japan, with former All Black Brodie Retallick, Anton Lienert-Brown, and Ardie Savea all in the 2026 squad.

Retallick, speaking on Sport Nation earlier this week, was full of praise for his Kobe Steelers coach.

“I think there are multiple aspects to Rens. He’s one who engages the community and creates a culture around the team he’s with, finding links to supporters and the city, which is massive for growing your identity.

“But he’s also a man who has coached for a very long time, and he understands how he wants to play a game of rugby, and those smaller details that make a game plan come together.

“And like all good coaches, he’s also a people person. He can be relatable, have a laugh, but also will tell you when you haven’t got it right. With someone with that much experience, he’s obviously been around long enough that he knows what he’s doing.”

Whether or not Joseph and Rennie can work together, or only on their own, is still up for debate, but building a coaching group full of experience and knowledge could be an option that wouldn’t need a long bedding-in process.

Joe Schmidt – Wallabies

The current Wallabies coach is an option for the head coaching role, but is more likely to be involved in the background or in an advisory role, after announcing that he will be spending more time with his family back in New Zealand once the Rugby Australia role finishes.

But he shouldn’t be ruled out completely, as his influence on the All Black team under Ian Foster in the World Cup was loud and clear.

Schmidt brings an amount of tactical detail and experience that no doubt New Zealand Rugby are after in the new coaching staff for the All Blacks.

The 60-year-old is set to leave the Wallabies during this year’s Nations Championship, ruling out any possible involvement in the near future, or at least until mid-2026.

Vern Cotter – Blues

The hard-nosed former Fiji and Scotland head coach would certainly shake up proceedings in black, likely shifting the playing style to a simpler, forwards-based game-plan.

The possibility could also be there as a specialist forwards coach under a head coach, which could work considering the work he has done transforming the Blues forward pack over the past couple of years.

Cotter’s international experience could come in handy, adding some grunt, specific expertise, and a different set of eyes to an All Black playing group that will be looking to put some of the past behind them, quickly.

The 63-year-old  led the Blues to a Super Rugby Pacific championship in 2024, which showcased what he can offer in a short amount of time, and like Joseph, he would be across all of the players in Super Rugby after coaching in the league for a couple of seasons now.

Clayton McMillan – Munster

Life in Limerick for McMillan has got off to an interesting start, with the former Chiefs boss’ team bowing out of the Champions Cup in the pool stages, going down 31-29 to Castres on the weekend.

Munster currently sit in sixth in the URC, comfortably in the playoffs after nine games this season.

After the match, speaking to Irish media, McMillan made it clear he hadn’t thought about the vacant All Blacks coaching role despite being thrown around as a possible option.

“To be perfectly honest, with all respect, I haven’t even given any thought to the question that you’ve just asked,” McMillan said post-match in Limerick.

“It’s not normally the New Zealand way to make such a big decision, but it’s one that’s been made, and my initial thoughts are actually just with Scott and his family.

“Nobody likes to see players or coaches have to go through that. So my thoughts are with him.”

McMillan led the All Blacks XV before Joseph, and despite not winning any of them, three Super Rugby Pacific finals in a row is no easy feat.

It may be too soon for the 51-year-old former Policeman, but McMillan could be one to lead the All Blacks one day.

Pat Lam – Bristol Bears

Lam is an outside chance for the vacant role when considering all of the candidates, but is someone who has been plying his trade at a high-level up in the north at Bristol since 2017.

The former Blues head coach is an avid and passionate observer of the game, coming out with strong words late last year about the state of New Zealand Rugby.

“I looked at the fundamentals of the game — not the flash stuff: Your scrummaging, lineout, lifting, mauling, catch, pass, carry, ball presentation, your breakdown work,” he told Martin Devlin of DSPN.

“Certainly, at the top level in New Zealand, it’s great, but when I was looking down, I was thinking, my goodness, what’s happening in club rugby? What’s happening in NPC rugby? Because I just saw too many players who are fundamentally poor.”

His experience of Northern Hemisphere rugby is an interesting asset to have, which could be of use in the All Black environment at some stage.

Ronan O’Gara – La Rochelle

NZR Chair David Kirk responded to one question about the possibility of appointing an overseas coach in this process, telling the media in Auckland that, as an organisation, they are not ruling out that idea just yet.

“We haven’t had that discussion with the board yet.”

That means it’s unconfirmed whether O’Gara would be considered or not, but his time seems to be nearly up at French giants La Rochelle, which could see him be a free agent in the near future.

An attack coach role in the chosen environment is a fascinating prospect, especially with his playing experience and understanding of Northern Hemisphere players and game styles that New Zealand doesn’t see as often.