New All Blacks coach Dave Rennie has received lots of public support from those who played under him on his journey to coaching New Zealand.
The 62-year-old was unveiled as Scott Robertson’s successor on Wednesday, beating out Jamie Joseph for the role. Rennie will guide the All Blacks through to the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
It has been 25 years in the making for Rennie, who brings plenty of experience from all corners of the globe, with roles with Manawatū and Wellington in the NPC and the Chiefs in Super Rugby, where he won back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013. He also had a stint with the Glasgow Warriors in Europe, the Wallabies and now the Kobelco Kobe Steelers in Japan.
Former Chiefs captain Liam Messam, who started at blindside flanker for both of the Chiefs’ Super Rugby final triumphs, feels the All Blacks have the perfect leader to steer the ship.
“He has a great manner to bring in the culture and the connection,” Messam told the Herald. “I know he’ll be excited to represent the country and the players underneath him.
“Everyone knows that test-match rugby and international rugby is different to Super Rugby or any other club competition.
“He’s experienced that with the Wallabies so he understands that sort of landscape and he’ll just put his twist and his mana [on the team]. He’s a man of a lot of mana so he’ll put his mana in that legacy jersey already.”
Charlie Ngatai joined the Chiefs from the Hurricanes in 2013 and started in the final later that year, when they beat the ACT Brumbies 27-22.
“He cares a lot about the players and the team, he loves his culture and [is] a really proud man,” Ngatai told the Herald. “He knows so much about rugby, technically and tactically.
Ngatai said Rennie developed a good culture in the team, especially at the Chiefs, and brought the team together well.
“He’s coached over in Scotland, he’s obviously coaching over in Japan, he’s been in Australia, so he’s been around and he’s developed experiences in rugby in different areas of the world, and also he develops players as well. So no doubt he’ll be the right man for the job.”
Current Manawatū Rugby Union chief executive Doug Tietjens spent time under Rennie at the Turbos, along with a season at the Highlanders under Joseph.
Rennie still has ties to the Palmerston North area, and Tietjens revealed the Turbos were keen to bring him in to help with their set-up for the 2026 NPC season.
“He has a strong relationship with our current head coach, Wesley Clarke and Rens [Rennie] was finishing up with Kobe and having a bit of time back here in the province,” Tietjens said.
“He’s got family here, he’s still got a property here, and so we were trying to see if we could secure him to help out in our environment, and obviously that’s not going to happen.”
Rennie confirmed at his presser that he was planning on taking an unpaid coaching role at the Turbos while chopping some firewood.
Tietjens said the biggest takeaway from his time under Rennie as a player was the culture aspect.
“He created a culture, not necessarily what he wants, but for the region and for the playing group,” Tietjens said.
“I’ve had a bit of time with Joe Schmidt and talking to him about his philosophy in coaching and I think they’re very similar as they like to get on the grass, do some coaching. It’s not just a man-manager type of coach, he also does, likes to get out and do the technical, tactical.
“I haven’t been with him for a while, so no doubt there’ll be some things that would have changed in his coaching style and philosophy, but from a philosophical perspective, I think, he’s great from that point of view.”
Rennie would have likely developed some of those philosophies from his first role as an assistant coach with the Wellington Lions in the NPC.
Graham Mourie was coaching the Lions at the time and scouted Rennie, who took up a role at Upper Hutt RFC following his playing days.
“I went to Wellington the first year I was there, I actually went around all the clubs and basically looked at all the club coaches and I picked out four of them,” Mourie told the Herald.
“I had Chris Boyd coaching the Bs, Alistair Meacham, the Colts, and Peter Russell the Under-19s – and Dave came with me.
“Dave’s certainly moved on from that and shown that, as with Chris and the other two as well, who’ve all gone on to coach at a very high level, that he was definitely a good choice.”
Mourie said it was obvious early on Rennie has the tools to be a successful coach.
“He’s a highly intelligent guy and for a highly intelligent guy to get his early employment opportunities as a school teacher and a publican, he’s obviously got people skills,” Mourie said.
“He’s got over 25 years actually coaching at the highest level and, in almost all instances, being very successful. So, I think he’s served a great apprenticeship and just it’s up to the team now to get behind him and just do what they can to make sure it’s successful for everybody.”
Rennie’s first task as All Blacks coach will be on July 4 when they host France in Christchurch.
Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking sports news.