Northampton Saints announce Hurricanes headcoach as new DOR in major coup
Northampton Saints have confirmed Chris Boyd as the club’s new Director of Rugby in a major coup for club.
The 59-year-old Kiwi has agreed a three-year deal and will begin his new role at Franklin’s Gardens at the start of August 2018.
Boyd has coached the Wellington-based Hurricanes since the 2015 campaign, guiding the New Zealand franchise to their first-ever Super Rugby title the following year. He also has experience with South African franchise Sharks – working as an assistant coach in Durban from 2009 to 2010 – and coached the ‘Baby Blacks’, New Zealand’s under-20s side, between 2011 and 2014.
😇 Welcome to the Saints, Chris Boyd
🌪 @Hurricanesrugby head coach
🏆 @SuperRugby champions 2016🇳🇿 @AllBlacks U20 head coach
🇹🇴 @officialTongaRU asst coach
🦈 @TheSharksZA asst coach
🦁 @WgtnRugby head coach pic.twitter.com/uYLMCG97kb— Northampton Saints 😇 (@SaintsRugby) January 29, 2018
Boyd was also an assistant coach during Tonga’s 2011 Rugby World Cup campaign when the pacific island nation famously beat France – the eventual losing finalists – for the first time.
“We are absolutely delighted Chris has accepted our offer to join the club,” said Northampton Saints CEO Mark Darbon.
“The club conducted an extensive search and Chris stood out as the exceptional candidate.
“We said at the start of the process that we were looking for a world class director of Rugby, and we’ve secured one of the very best.
“Chris’ CV speaks for itself; his achievements in Super Rugby are notable and his experience with the New Zealand age group sides is impressive. His track record of building a championship-winning side with a mix of experienced and young players was exactly what we were looking for.
“His teams play attacking rugby and Chris is well known as a deep thinker with an immense rugby brain who communicates well with his players. We look forward to him taking charge later this year.”
Boyd’s Super Rugby record now stands at 43-11 in three seasons and, impressively, his side did not concede a single try in the 2016 playoffs. They made the semi-finals again in 2017, but with the call then coming from Northampton, Boyd admits he is relishing taking on a new challenge at Franklin’s Gardens.
“I am humbled and excited to be joining Saints,” he said.
“Northampton Saints is a Club I have admired all of my coaching career.
“I visited Franklin’s Gardens for a week in 2004 when Wayne Smith was head coach, and remember the passion of the Saints supporters and the strong culture at the Club.
“Franklin’s Gardens is an excellent stadium with first-class facilities, and when John White and Mark Darbon outlined the vision for Saints, it was a project I very much wanted to be part of.
“The Club’s ambitions match my own – I am confident I can help the Saints become one of the biggest and best teams in Europe.
“I have always aspired to coach in the Aviva Premiership and I am relishing the opportunity to work with this talented squad of players.”
The Kiwi has been coaching continuously for over 30 years and is one of the most experienced head coaches in world rugby. He began his career with nine years at Tawa Rugby Club before progressing from second XV coach to assistant coach at hometown club Wellington Lions, ultimately getting the top job in 2011 after his stint with the Sharks.
He steered Wellington to the 2013 Mitre 10 Cup final, but it has been his work with the Hurricanes since 2015 that has really thrust him into the limelight. Boyd so nearly completed a fairy-tale first season with the franchise – his side narrowly losing out to the Highlanders in the Super Rugby final after topping the regular-season table.
But despite losing the likes of Conrad Smith, Ma’a Nonu and Jeremy Thrush, the Hurricanes went all the way to the Super Rugby title the following season, with Boyd’s side – captained by Dane Coles and boasting World Cup winners TJ Perenara, Beauden Barrett, Nehe Milner-Skudder and Julian Savea – romping to a 20–3 triumph over the Lions in the final.
“Chris has an impressive record as a coach and getting him over to Northampton is a massive statement for the Club and confirmation of our determination to compete at the highest level,” added Saints Chairman John White.
“I know I am speaking for everyone at Saints when I say that we are very much looking forward to working with him when he arrives ahead of next season.”
CHRIS BOYD’S COACHING CAREER
Hurricanes: Head Coach (2015 to present – Super Rugby runners-up 2015, Champions 2016 & semi-finalists 2017)
New Zealand Rugby Union: Under-20s Head Coach (2013 – 2014)
New Zealand Rugby Union: Under-20s Assistant Coach (2011 – 2012)
Wellington Lions: Head Coach (2011 – 2014)
Tonga Rugby Union: Assistant Coach (2011 Rugby World Cup)
International Rugby Academy of New Zealand: Coaching Services Advisor (2006 – 2016)
Sharks: Assistant Coach (2009 – 2010)
New Zealand Academy of Sport : High Performance Coach advisor (2007 – 2008)
Wellington Lions: Assistant Coach (2003 – 2006)
Comments on RugbyPass
Good to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
16 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
16 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
4 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
4 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
16 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
16 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
4 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
16 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
14 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
16 Go to comments