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Super Rugby Pacific

Vern Cotter not in running for All Blacks with Australia move confirmed

By Ned Lester

91 days ago

Blues head coach Vern Cotter. Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images

Vern Cotter’s coaching future has been confirmed, and it’s not with the All Blacks or any international outfit.

Despite the former Scotland and Fiji coach ticking all the boxes New Zealand Rugby set out in Monday’s head coach appointment update, Cotter is sticking within Super Rugby and taking over Les Kiss’s current post with the Queensland Reds next season.

Kiss, who assumes the reins as Wallabies head coach midway through the year, has improved the Reds’ fortunes during the regular season since returning from 15 years in Europe, but has been stumped by the club’s quarter-final curse in both of his seasons at Ballymore.

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Cotter also returned to Super Rugby in 2024 after nearly two decades away, but his arrival in Auckland triggered a dramatic revitalisation of the Blues and ultimately led to the club’s first Super Rugby title since 2003 (excluding Covid-affected competitions).

The Blues said in a statement Tuesday that Cotter’s exit is a managed transition and that the appointment process to find his successor is already underway.

“This has been part of a long-term strategy, and both Vern and the club felt it was the right thing to be open and clear before the season begins,” he said.

“We hugely appreciate everything Vern has done and continues to do for the club. He has delivered exactly what he was brought in to do. The Blues have a strong performance environment, clear DNA of how we want to play and know what it takes to be champions,” said new Blues CEO Karl Budge, before emphasising Cotter’s dedication to the campaign at hand.

“Vern is 100 per cent focused on the job at hand.

“He is deeply invested in this playing group and this organisation, and that does not change. We know he will continue to lead with the same professionalism and drive that have defined his time here.”

The change casts more uncertainty over the coaching landscape in New Zealand, with Scott Robertson’s All Blacks coaching group still contracted in their respective roles despite the head coach’s exit, and awaiting their fate, which lies in the hands of the yet-to-be-appointed new head coach.

Should Robertson’s cohort – Jason Ryan, Scott Hansen, and Tamati Ellison – be relieved of their All Blacks duties by a coach looking for a clean canvas, the vacancy at Blues HQ could present a timely return to the workforce. The timing of the respective appointments, however, may not align.

As it stands, Daniel Halangahu, Jason O’Halloran, Craig McGrath, and Paul Tito operate as assistant coaches under Cotter at the Blues.

Comments

37 Comments

B 91 days ago

Vern Cotter must know that the AB’s Head Coach will be Jamie Joseph…

DC 91 days ago

well who knows how long he will last in queensland as there coach

ClintP 91 days ago

Scott Robertson to head the Blues

cnw 91 days ago

It just does not make sense to sack a head coach without any clear plan in terms of a replacement. No Brown. No Schimdt. No Cotter. And given Warren, Pivac and Rennie have not even coached in the southern hemisphere for years, surely they cant be contenders for head coach at such short notice. And, before pressing the nuclear button why didn’t they just put Joseph into the role Hansen is in and give a clear message internally that Joseph will be the Head Coach and Robertson stay on as the spiritual coach etc rather than this absolute very publically embarassing train wreck.

BleedRed&Black 91 days ago

You have to wonder how NZR are going to spin this one? Probably by ignoring it, as they have with Schmidt, Smith and Brown etc. Four top flight candidates for head coach or assistant down. How many more to go?

One of the defining qualities of what is increasingly looking like a fiasco is the idea that dumping Robertson would suddenly open the ABs to a whole new range of world class assistant coaches to replace the supposedly worthless ones they had in place. So where are they? Disappearing over the horizon.

NZR handling of all this has been predictably incompetent. NZR either knew or should have known Schmidt, Smith, Brown and Cotter were unavailable, yet instead of front footing it they have allowed the constant announcements to undermine their process, publicly at least and also with their prospective candidates. Doesn’t really look like the “best coaching job in the rugby world” now, does it?

That’ll be on Kirk’s tombstone.

Given he’s effectively last man standing, if Joseph actually wants the job, he should push hard for a four year contract. One with a stipulation that once he reaches a certain win ratio NZR cannot sack him without a full payout and no non-compete.

NZRs management of their AB coaches over the last six years has been grossly incompetent. That hasn’t changed. Joseph has no reason to believe there has been any improvement.

GM 91 days ago

‘NZR either knew or should have known Schmidt, Smith, Brown and Cotter were unavailable…’

What if they did know? Why should they give you a list of those not available? This ‘predictably incompetent’ stuff is predictably negative.

Perhaps Kirk should have said: ‘We’re going to cast the net wide, but for the benefit of Bleed out there, XY and Z are unavailable.’

Which is not to excuse NZR’s management of ABs coach over the past 6 years - Mark Robinson has been an unmitigated disaster in that respect - but that’s not down to Kirk. What happens now is.

SC 91 days ago

Will any NZ journalist find out WHY Cotter choose to leave a NZ Super franchise for an Australian Super franchise?

I doubt it was more money. So what are the reasons why he choose to leave the Blues for the Reds?

Utiku Old Boy 91 days ago

Its a fair question. Why change from the Blues in your home country to the Reds (over there)? Is it NZ economy? NZR as paymaster? Australia? Is the Reds organization better? Family reasons?

RG 91 days ago

Guess you are looking for a conspiracy theory to berate NZ Rugby but maybe it’s as simple as

this.

1) Done three years at the Blues

2) In his mid 60’s

3) Lifestyle choice

4) Relaxed environment and beautiful Queensland weather

Could be quite attractive and compelling

Relax, it’s sport not life or death.

GS 91 days ago

It could be huge for the Reds when you consider how well the Blues have gone under him.

Would be interesting to understand what exactly is going on within NZRFU - lost a decent number of key Mgmt staff - CEO, CFO, Head Commercial, Head High Performance, now lost Couple AB asst Coaches and a coach, a number of coaches ruling themselves out of AB job - Cotter would have been perfect as an Asst Coach, seems something is pretty broken within the organisation as seems to be dysfunctional.

Robinson announced he was going mid-last year, and yet still no replacement has been announced, nor has one been announced for the other senior Mgmt roles, so losing key staff and then not being able (as yet) to recruit replacements - to say this is a worry (if NZ Rugby fan) is an understatement.

SC 91 days ago

Cotter should have been the preferred head coach of All Blacks for a two year stint along with Joe Schmidt and Wayne Smith.

In the last few days, ALL 3 have left NZ Rugby.

Well done David Kirk!

SB 91 days ago

If he leads the Blues to the playoffs again, his time will be considered a massive success. I would back him to do it.

Over the sideline 91 days ago

Back him to do what if he makes the finals? Sorry but the Blues making g the finals should be the minimum requirement. Even the Reds make the finals. So what would “making the finals” prove?

Jen 91 days ago

I find it intriguing that he’s going to Aussie. He must love a challenge 😆

Koro Teeps 91 days ago

Or better weather

GRB13 91 days ago

Another one slips through the net!

johnz 91 days ago

At this rate we'll only have JJ left. Let's hope he applies!

Over the sideline 91 days ago

Do you genuinely believe Cotter was a option? I have this bridge for sale. Suit you perfectly.

Jen 91 days ago

We’re going to end up with Eddie Jones at this rate