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Sunwolves head coach Tony Brown returns to Highlanders for 2020 Super Rugby season
Tony Brown will return to a yet-to-be-determined coaching role with the Highlanders in 2020.
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The former Otago and Highlanders player, assistant coach to Jamie Joseph during the successful 2015 campaign and 2017 head coach has been in charge of the Sunwolves this year, and is still with Joseph coaching the Japanese national team in preparation for this year’s World Cup.
Brown has a reputation as one of the sharpest rugby minds in the game, and has been the architect of many new and effective attacking plays in recent years.
Known as a staunchly parochial southern man, he is looking forward to another term with the Highlanders.
“As most people would know the Highlanders are very special team to me and the opportunity to be involved again is too good to turn down,” Brown said.
“They are a great team to coach, they play positive footy and next year they have some exciting new talent coming through that I believe I can help develop to the next level.”
Highlanders CEO Roger Clark was enthusiastic about the appointment of the 44-year-old.
“Tony is an exceptional coach and to have his talents available to us again is exciting,” Clark said.
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“It would be fair to say that next year we will be embarking on a new era without some of our better-known players from recent times.
“Brownie will fit in well with our current coaching group and will no doubt get the best out of the new talent the coaching group will have at their disposal next season.”
Brown will be an assistant coach with his coaching portfolio yet to be finalised, but current head coach Aaron Mauger is looking forward to Brown joining the group.
“We’re all looking forward to Brownie’s return to the Highlanders in 2020, his passion for our club and his rugby intellect will no doubt have a massive influence on our growth over the next few years and beyond,” he said.
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“Although there is a great deal of excitement around the future of the club, the current team of 2019 are solely focused on finishing this campaign well.
“Once the season is finished, we will do an extensive review of our program and our coaching set up, as we do every season, and the coaching roles and responsibilities for 2020 will be discussed and finalised post that.”
Brown’s arrival in Dunedin will offset the loss of defence coach Glenn Delaney, who is leaving the club at the end of the season to join Welsh Pro14 side Scarlets.
The Highlanders have already retained a core group of 23 players from this year’s campaign for 2020, including All Blacks Aaron Smith and Liam Coltman, and will look to complete selections shortly.
“The Highlanders will announce a number of exciting newcomers in the coming weeks and will be in a position to largely finalise our squad over the next few months,” Clark said.
It is believed young All Blacks Sevens stars Jona Nareki and Scott Gregory are among the new signings for next year.
In other news:
Comments on RugbyPass
A wallaby front-row of Bell, Blake and Tupou…now that would be hefty
1 Go to comments“But with an exceptional pass accuracy rating “ Which apart from Roigard is not a feature of any of the other 9s in NZ. Kind of basic for a Black 9 dont.you. think? Yet we keep seeing FC and TJ being rated ahead of him? Weird if it’s seen as vital to get our backline beating in your face defences.
1 Go to commentsThanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
11 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
10 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
11 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
24 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
10 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
17 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to comments