Australia pinch prime All Blacks coach candidate who was ‘blindsided’ by Scott Robertson’s sacking
Blues head coach Vern Cotter and an inset of ex-All Blacks boss Scott Robertson.
The Queensland Reds have announced who will succeed Les Kiss as the team’s head coach, with Vern Cotter making the switch from the Blues, a move that rules him out of the running for the All Blacks’ head coach gig.
On Monday, New Zealand Rugby publicly advertised the All Blacks head coach position and set a strict criteria that has whittled down the potential successors even further.
The union states that candidates must be a New Zealander and have international experience as a head coach.
Vern Cotter to succeed Les Kiss
Outgoing Wallabies head coach Joe Schmidt has reportedly ruled himself out of the running – he fit the criteria perfectly – and he has taken another experienced operator with him in the form of Cotter, who will trade Auckland for Queensland after this year’s Super Rugby Pacific season.
The Reds have been on the market for a head coach following the confirmation that their current boss, Kiss, would be taking over from Schmidt at the Wallabies and turned their attention to Cotter late last year.
The 2024 Super Rugby Pacific-winning coach with the Blues has signed a two-year deal with the Queensland Rugby Union, starting from 2027.
“When I was contacted about the position, I was chuffed and proud,” Cotter said in a statement on Tuesday.
“Australian rugby and Australian sport fascinates me. To work in that culture excites me and when the QRU laid out their plans for the Reds, it was compelling.
“I did my homework. The Queensland mindset is strong. The history of players who have been produced for the Reds and Wallabies, and the junior nurseries behind them, tells me there is scope for the Reds to keep growing.
“I pride myself on always looking to improve myself as a coach and I certainly feel this can make me a better coach. ‘We train to win’ is always my position.”
Joe Schmidt’s role and the All Blacks’ job
A conversation with Schmidt further convinced Cotter that the Reds were a good fit for the former Fiji and Scotland head coach, who also enjoyed success with Top 14 club Clermont and is vastly experienced in Super Rugby, having also worked with the Crusaders.
“It was important that I speak to someone who knew the players and who had experience with the environment and rugby in Australia…he’s got a glowing report of rugby in Australia,” Cotter said of Schmidt.
“It was a great conversation with Joe, and he was very complimentary of the playing roster that’s there, sees some upward growth within that group of internationals, but also players that will potentially become internationals.
“So it was a reassuring conversation and Joe’s a good friend of mine. We’re often in contact and have been quite a lot over the years.”
While Jamie Joseph and Dave Rennie have emerged as two of the frontrunners to replace Scott Robertson as the All Blacks head coach, Cotter’s name has also been put forward, but the 64-year-old’s move to Queensland has ruled him out of the race.
He plans to stick by his commitment to the team, with whom he signed a two-year deal with late last year before Robertson’s exit was confirmed.
Cotter says that he was ‘blindsided’ by the decision from New Zealand Rugby, and while he would love to work with the All Blacks, the timing simply did not work for the coach who competed for the head coach role back in 2011, with Steve Hansen ultimately getting the job.
“That was a surprise. We were well down conversations with the Reds,” Cotter said of Robertson’s exit.
“I was a bit blindsided by the Razor thing. No one thought that was coming. There was a review after two years and two years before the World Cup but we were too far down the track. It would’ve been hard to say ‘I’m going to make myself available for the All Blacks’.
“Everyone would love to coach the All Blacks, but it’s timing and it didn’t work out.”
New Zealand Rugby aren’t short of options
While he does leave the door ajar to potentially coach the All Blacks in the future, he is wary that it is a bit of a long shot.
“I would love to coach the All Blacks. I applied in 2011. That’s a long time ago now. I had given my word [to the Reds] and I don’t like letting people down,” he continued.
“You’d be silly to rule that out, but, at the moment, there’s two years and that will take us to the World Cup. We’ll see what happens but, hopefully, the All Blacks will be successful, and they won’t need another coach for a few more years.
“And there’s some really good coaches who will be available for the All Blacks and coaches with international experience. We’ve got them here – Paul Tito has had experience; Greg Feek, Dan Halangahu with Tonga.
“There’s some really good coaches around the country. They [NZR] know what they want and I’m sure they’ll run a process that will get the right person for it.”
Meanwhile, the Blues have confirmed that a robust head coach appointment process is already underway to find Cotter’s successor, with more details to follow in the coming weeks.
The club’s CEO Karl Budge said the decision to announce Cotter’s future ahead of the season would provide clarity for all parties.
“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.”
Reds head coach Les Kiss said: “I look forward to ensuring the transition to Vern is a good one.
“As part of the coaching group and team management, we are really excited to put everything into a big 2026 season at the Reds with all we have been training and working at.”
Cotter’s glowing resume at club level includes a Ranfurley Shield with Bay of Plenty, three Super Rugby titles, one as a head coach and two as an assistant, a Challenge Cup and a Top 14 title with Clermont. He also led the French club to three Top 14 runners-up medals and a Champions Cup final.
