RUGBY: Former All Black Coles joins panel to pick new head coach

Former New Zealand hooker Dane Coles has been added to the panel tasked with selecting the All Blacks’ next head coach, bringing a recent player’s perspective to the decision-making process.

Coles, who played the last of his 90 tests at the 2023 World Cup in France under Ian Foster, joins New Zealand Rugby (NZR) chair David Kirk, board member and former All Black Keven Mealamu, high performance expert Don Tricker, and interim CEO Steve Lancaster on the panel, NZR announced on Wednesday.

Jamie Joseph and Dave Rennie are considered the leading candidates to succeed Scott Robertson, who was dismissed last month following an internal review of the 2025 season that included critical feedback from some players.

NZR confirmed that the application window has closed but has not provided a timeline for announcing Robertson’s replacement. The governing body also stated that it will not accept applications from non-New Zealanders or from coaches without international experience.

-Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Stephen Coates/Reuters