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Hurricanes announce new head coach for 2024 onward
The Hurricanes and New Zealand Rugby (NZR) and have today announced Clark Laidlaw will become the Hurricanes head coach in 2024.
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The 45-year-old will take up his new role at the conclusion of the 2023 DHL Super Rugby Pacific season and following the departure Jason Holland, who will link up with the All Blacks as an assistant to Scott Robertson after the Rugby World Cup.
Laidlaw said he was excited to be returning to the Hurricanes, having been assistant under Mark Hammett and Chris Boyd between 2013 and 2015, but also proud of his time with the All Blacks Sevens.
“I am really proud of all we have achieved with the All Blacks Sevens. We’ve seen a lot of success but also had our fair share of challenges,” he said in a statement.
“The ability to coach a national team for pinnacle events, with the opportunities, learnings and team connections that come with it is really special.
“It felt like the right time to take on a new challenge as head coach of the Hurricanes, while building on what is already a really strong team.”
In 2018, a year after becoming head coach of the All Blacks Sevens, Laidlaw guided New Zealand to gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and won the 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens.
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Since, Laidlaw has led his team to HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series titles in 2020 and 2023 and won a silver medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
Hurricanes CEO Avan Lee said he was “thrilled” to see Laidlaw confirmed as the next Hurricanes head coach.
“His coaching record speaks for itself in terms of success. He’s done a superb job for the Sevens, so we’re thrilled to see him return to the Hurricanes and continue to build on the great work of Jason Holland and the current wider coaching team.
“Clark will bring a unique set of skills to the Hurricanes and help our Club realise its ambitions.
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“Obviously, having been an assistant here at the Hurricanes from 2013-2015, he already has some fantastic connections and relationships in the club.
“We’re excited about what he will bring to the club on-field but also look forward to watching his influence on the culture and our people.”
NZR General Manager Professional Rugby and Performance, Chris Lendrum congratulated Laidlaw on his new role with the Hurricanes, while acknowledging his service and success with the All Blacks Sevens.
“Clark’s move to the Hurricanes is an exciting progression in his coaching career and is a great example of how new and different experiences develop our top coaches.
“He has constantly challenged himself throughout his six-year tenure with the All Blacks Sevens, developed a large number of young men on and off the field, and achieved a huge amount of success.”
Clark Laidlaw’s career timeline:
2018-current: All Blacks Sevens Head Coach (2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens, 2020 & 2023 World Rugby Sevens Series winners)
2016-2018: Assistant Coach of London Irish
2013-2015: Assistant Coach of the Hurricanes
2010-2012: Skills Coach and Video Analyst New Zealand sevens
2010: Skills Coach for Taranaki
– Press Release/NZR
Comments on RugbyPass
“While Sotutu should start at No.8 for the All Blacks against England, but it’s only in that arena that he can prove just how good he really is.” And that my friends is where simply hasnt shone despite multiple opportunities. Even in this performance you can see what did him in in the test arena..he almost always still runs at the opposition almost ramrod upright making him easier to stop than it should be.
1 Go to commentsShould have been 0-0 and a message from SR CEO to both teams - “don’t worry about turning up next year”.
3 Go to commentsGreat work Owen Franks. A great of this team, scoring his first try for the Crusaders since 2010.He was beaming, justifiably. A fine win, he and the rest did the job up front.
1 Go to commentsDanny Care. Lang in die tand.
1 Go to commentsBig empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
3 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
3 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
4 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
38 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
4 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
2 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to comments