Super Rugby Pacific: Jason Holland on why he wanted Blues head coaching role

Jason Holland will join the Blues as their head coach for the 2027 Super Rugby Pacific season. Photo / Photosport

Hurricanes assistant Jason Holland admits the opportunity to take over as head coach of the Blues in Super Rugby Pacific next year was too good to turn down.

The former All Blacks assistant has signed a three-year deal with the Auckland-based franchise, starting in 2027, when he will replace the outgoing Vern Cotter.

Cotter is moving to Queensland to coach the Reds.

Holland got a taste of being a head coach with the Hurricanes from 2020-2023, having served as an assistant at the club from 2016-2019, along with stints at Canterbury and Munster.

He left the Hurricanes to be part of Scott Robertson’s All Blacks coaching set-up in 2024, when he worked as a set-piece, attack and backs coach, but decided to walk away from the role at the end of last year, electing not to ask New Zealand Rugby for a contract renewal.

The 53-year-old was quickly snapped up by the Hurricanes for the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season, but when the Blues came knocking about their vacant role, Holland said the desire to be a head coach again was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up.

“Any conversations I’ve had with the people in the Blues is a clear potential to continue to build on the great stuff that’s been going on,” he said.

“I see so much potential with the people there, with the players, with the management, and the opportunity there to try and play some footy and win some games and excite the people around the Auckland region and the Northland region, the Blues region, is pretty exciting for me.”

The Herald understands Holland was one of three candidates highlighted by the Blues once Cotter announced his departure.

Dave Rennie rebuffed the Blues’ initial approach before contesting the coveted All Blacks job alongside Jamie Joseph, which Rennie ended up getting through till the 2027 Rugby World Cup. In the weeks that followed, discussions with Ian Foster did not progress and Holland rapidly emerged as Cotter’s successor in waiting.

Holland said he still wants to remain invested when it comes to organising the attack, but his motivation to succeed in the role is far greater.

“I enjoy the attack role ... but you learn things along the way, don’t you? You understand more and more around people and how you get the best out of people,” he said.

“Helping people to be at their best is a massive part of what I do.

“I still want to be fully invested in how you play the game, but I’m pretty excited about trying to help other people be at their best. I see that as a big part of being a head coach.”

The next few months will present a juggling act of sorts before he commits fully to the role later this year.

The Blues’ style under Cotter is built around forward dominance and physicality, and Holland has no intentions of tearing that down.

“I want to make sure the good work that Vern’s installed ... around set piece and physicality is still a big part of how the Blues play,” Holland said. “But I’ve got a real drive to build skillsets and make sure you can play both ways – be direct, but also play to width when it’s on.”

The Hurricanes and the Blues occupy the top two spots in the Super standings through six rounds, but the former sit top with a better points differential, while they have also played one less game.

Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking sports news.