Don Tricker returns to New Zealand Rugby as high performance director

Former Black Sox coach Don Tricker has been named as New Zealand Rugby’s new high performance director.

As first reported by the Herald, Tricker, who previously worked at NZR between 2010 and 2018 in a similar but less expansive role, heads back to New Zealand having spent the past five years at the San Diego Padres in Major League Baseball.

In the new role, Tricker will provide leadership over New Zealand rugby’s high-performance system, including driving winning national teams, player pathways and coach development, New Zealand Rugby said.

“Don brings a track record of delivering success across elite high-performance environments and we look forward to the impact he will make,” said NZR Interim CEO Steve Lancaster.

“Don is highly respected and has a deep understanding of elite coaching, player development and New Zealand rugby.

“This role has a singular focus on driving our national teams to consistently win. Don will lead a high-performance system that is aligned from pathways through to our national teams, with a clear focus on driving a performance culture that reflects the unique identity of New Zealand rugby.”

Tricker will join NZR in November after completing the Major League Baseball season where he is the vice president of player health and performance with the Padres. A transition plan is in place so Tricker will spend time in NZR’s high performance system and national team environments throughout 2026.

“I’m excited to return to New Zealand and to be involved with New Zealand Rugby. In particular, I’m looking forward to working with two fantastic head coaches in Whitney [Hansen] and Dave [Rennie], our national team programmes and the NZR high performance team,” said Tricker.

“Put simply, my role is about creating a system that develops players that our national teams want to select. To do that we need to be working in partnership with provincial unions and Super Rugby clubs.

“While I remain absolutely committed to the Padres, there are windows throughout the baseball season that will allow me to spend time with NZR staff and teams. This will be a period of discovery and understanding the here and now.”