Highlanders assistant Kane Jury lands expanded New Zealand U20 coaching role

Highlanders assistant coach Kane Jury has been appointed to a newly formed New Zealand Rugby role, the men’s National Pathways Head Coach.

The job will see Jury take charge of the New Zealand U20 team and the New Zealand Schools program. Jury succeeds Milton Haig in the former position, who left his post just days out from the 2025 World Rugby U20 Championship, with Jarrad Hoeta and Alex Robertson stepping up as co-head coaches for the tournament.

A two-year deal has been signed and will see Jury depart the Highlanders next month, with Otago assistant coach Ryan Bambry taking his place.

“I am truly grateful for the many opportunities and learnings I’ve been given at the Highlanders,” Jury said. “This experience has provided me with the platform to step into this newly created role with New Zealand Rugby, focused on strengthening and aligning the pathway between our national age-grade programmes and our national teams,” he said.

Jury’s new coaching team for the U20s has also been revealed, with Brock James (Hawke’s Bay), James Lentjes (Canterbury), and Will Henry (Otago) set to work alongside him as New Zealand seek their third successive Rugby Championship U20 title, and their first Junior World Championship since 2017.

In 2026, the rebranded World Rugby U20 tournament returns to Georgia, the scene of New Zealand’s 2017 win.

To select the national squad, Jury and company will bring together 100 players in Taupo from March 14-21, with selection also aided by the new Super Rugby Development Program, which operates as a secondary competition running concurrently with the first nine weeks of the Super Rugby Pacific season, featuring players from Super Rugby squads, Wider Training Groups, and National Development Contracts.

“The role requires me to work closely with the All Blacks to ensure clear alignment in the core skill development requirements of our players, and to provide meaningful coaching experiences that equip our players to be successful in the NPC, Super Rugby Pacific and on the international stage,” Jury added.

“It is critical I work alongside our Provincial Unions and Super Rugby Clubs and secondary schools to help grow the tactical and technical abilities of our emerging talent.

“Ultimately, our goal within the National Pathways is to build a strong, connected pipeline that consistently ensures players have the tools for the demands of the professional and international game.”

Jury’s resumé already includes the secondary school’s head coach job in 2022-23, as well as a slew of assistant coaching roles in the NPC and Fiji Men’s Sevens.

NZR High Performance Player Development Manager Matt Sexton reflected on the pathway review, which saw the Super Rugby U20 tournament canned in favour of the Super Rugby Development Program, when endorsing Jury as the right man for the new job.

“Kane has a deep understanding of how to grow young men and has held key coaching roles related to our pathways from secondary school through to provincial and Super Rugby level,” Sexton said.

“The men’s pathway review strongly recommended a more aligned and connected pathway for our young players as they enter our high-performance environment and this role is a direct response that we are confident will deliver improved outcomes, particularly in skill development and tactical knowledge.”

Highlanders GM of Rugby, Greg O’Brien, said Jury’s appointment was well-earned, with the assistant’s proven eye for talent and knack for developing it.

“Kane’s experience in the high?performance space around talent identification and player development makes him the ideal person to work with young talent from around the country,” said O’Brien.

“He has coached the Highlanders U20s, our development team and at Super Rugby level. He has always demonstrated an ability to connect with and get the best out of players. We wish him well in his new role and thank him for his significant contribution to the club.”