Dave Rennie
Full name David Noel Rennie
Born (1963-11-22) 22 November 1963 (age 62)
Upper Hutt, New Zealand
Height 189 cm (6 ft 2 in)
School Heretaunga College
Rugby union career
Position(s) Centre, wing
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1986–1991 Wellington 58 (60)
Correct as of 20 November 2019
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1990 Cook Islands XV 1 (0)
Correct as of 9 October 2021
Coaching career
Years Team
1999 Wellington (assistant)
2000–2002 Wellington
2002 Hurricanes (assistant)
2006–2011 Manawatu
2008–2010 New Zealand U20
2012–2017 Chiefs
2017–2020 Glasgow Warriors
2020–2023 Australia
2021 Barbarians
2023–2026 Kobe Steelers
2026– New Zealand

David Noel Rennie (born 22 November 1963) is a New Zealand and Cook Islands professional rugby union coach and former player. Since 4 March 2026 he has been head coach of the New Zealand national rugby team, the All Blacks.

He previously was the head coach of the Australia national rugby union team from 2020 to 2023, having also coached New Zealand sides the Chiefs, Manawatu, Wellington, the New Zealand U20, as well as in Scotland, with Glasgow Warriors from 2017 to 2020. Rennie's playing position was centre.[1]

Rugby union playing career

Amateur and provincial

Rennie played with Upper Hutt RFC in Wellington, New Zealand.[2] He finished playing early at 27 due to a recurring shoulder injury.[1]

Rennie played with the Wellington Lions. He won the NPC title with the Lions in 1986. Later as head coach he guided the team to their next NPC title 14 years later in 2000.

International

Rennie's mother was from Rarotonga in the Cook Islands, and thus Rennie was eligible for the Cook Islands national team.[3] He played for the Cook Islands for one non-capped match in 1990.[4]

Rugby union coaching career

Rennie has been described as "hard-nosed, doesn't tolerate fools, is astute and has a deep rugby intelligence."[5] After playing for the amateur side Rennie then coached Upper Hutt RFC.[6]

Wellington Lions

He became the assistant coach of the Wellington Lions in 1999 before becoming head coach in 2000. In his first year as the head coach, he led the Wellington Lions to their first NPC title since 1986.[7] He stayed with the Lions until 2002.

Hurricanes

Rennie became first the Hurricanes Under 23 head coach and then the assistant coach of the Hurricanes. He also coached at the New Zealand international academy.

Manawatu

Originally a short-term contract,[8] Rennie was the coach of the Manawatu Turbos in the ITM Cup from 2005 to 2011. Under Rennie the Turbos were Championship runner-up in the 2011 ITM Cup.

New Zealand U20

Rennie was coach of New Zealand under-20s and the team won three consecutive World titles from 2008 to 2010.[9]

Chiefs

He joined the Chiefs for the 2012 season and led them to their first ever Super Rugby title.[10] In doing so Rennie became the first first-year Super Rugby coach to win a Super Rugby title

The day of the final itself proved highly eventful. As Rennie guided the Chiefs to a 37–6 win over the Sharks, his house was robbed and valuables were stolen. A similar opportunist theft had occurred to Chiefs player Sonny Bill Williams several weeks earlier.[11]

He coached the Chiefs to their second straight Super Rugby title in the 2013 season, beating the Brumbies.

Glasgow Warriors

On 19 August 2016, Glasgow Warriors announced that Rennie would replace Gregor Townsend as head coach for the 2017–18 season.[12] Under Townsend, Warriors were a top Pro12 side; they reached the play-offs in every year of his charge – except his last; where he guided the Warriors to their first European Champions Cup Quarter-Final. Townsend won the Pro12 title with Glasgow Warriors in 2015.[13]

In Rennie's first season, Glasgow Warriors made the Pro14 semi-finals, but the side was beaten at Scotstoun Stadium by the Scarlets.[14] In the European Champions Cup they finished bottom of their pool.[15]

For the 2018–19 season, Glasgow Warriors reached the Pro14 final at Celtic Park in Glasgow. A large home-based Warriors support gave the Pro14 its biggest ever attendance for a final. Despite this Leinster capitalised on a Stuart Hogg error and ground out the match to win the title. In the European Champions Cup, Glasgow Warriors qualified out of the pool stages to meet Saracens in the quarter final. Having run Saracens very close at home; and matched them until the final quarter of the away pool match – Scottish hopes were raised for the quarter-final in London.[16] However Saracens saved their best performance for that match and then went on to win the European title.[17]

After a coronavirus curtailed season in the 2019–20 season, Glasgow Warriors were in the 3rd place of their conference; which would have normally secured a place in the play-off finals to determine the Pro14 champion. Danny Wilson took over the head coach role on 1 June 2020. On leaving Rennie said: "It’s been good for me. I was keen to experience a different culture and a different type of footie. Rugby goes forever up here, the seasons roll into one, so you have to be very detailed around your planning. Around the international commitments you lose players for big chunks of time so you have to bring through young kids and manage a much bigger squad."[18] Of Glasgow Warriors and Scotland he concluded: ""But it's the people I'll miss. A lot of it comes back to laughter. The Scottish are funny people and I haven't laughed as much in any environment as much as I have in my time here. I've travelled all over Scotland and had a decent look at various things. My grandfather was born in Stranraer so we spent a bit of time down there. We went up to Skye and went to Oban and went to this seafood restaurant right on the water and it was as good as any seafood I've ever tasted. I've loved the food, I've loved the people and I've loved our time here. It's been special, we'll miss it."[19]

Australia

On 20 November 2019, Rugby Australia announced that Rennie would replace Michael Cheika as head coach of the Wallabies.[20]

On 12 November 2022, Under pressure coach Dave Rennie defended making mass changes to his team after the Wallabies were stunned in a historic first loss (28-27) to Italy in Florence.[21]

On 16 January 2023, Rugby Australia announced that Rennie would be replaced by Eddie Jones.[22][23][24]

Kobe Steelers

Rennie took over the Kobe Steelers in Japan for the 2023-24 season.[25] With him as assistant was Mike Blair, previously a head coach of Edinburgh Rugby and who was an assistant coach under Rennie at Glasgow Warriors.[26]

New Zealand

On 4 March 2026, it was announced that Rennie would take over the All Blacks head coach role ahead of the 2026 Nations Championship, replacing the previous head coach Scott Robertson who was dismissed mid-World Cup cycle. [27]

Honours

  • The Rugby Championship
    • Runner-up: 2021
  • Nelson Mandela Challenge Plate
    • Winner: 2021, 2022
  • Puma Trophy
    • Winner: 2020, 2021, 2022
  • Trophée des Bicentenaires
    • Winner: 2021
  • Hopetoun Cup
    • Winner: 2022
  • James Bevan Trophy
    • Winner: 2022

Outside rugby

Rennie was a school teacher in Upper Hutt.[28] He taught to 12 and 13 year olds: 'intermediate', between primary and secondary education.[1] In comparing his former job of teaching with coaching rugby union, Rennie said: "Teaching, coaching, it's the same thing. The kids are just a bit bigger."[28]

While coaching Upper Hutt RFC at amateur level, Rennie owned and ran a pub called the Lonely Goat Herd in Upper Hutt, Wellington.[2]

Rennie plays guitar and also enjoys landscape gardening.[8][1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "The lowdown on Dave Rennie, the next Glasgow Warriors coach". 19 August 2016.
  2. ^ a b "From humble club roots, Chris Boyd and Dave Rennie share common coaching path". Stuff. 15 May 2015.
  3. ^ "High hopes for Dave Rennie". 18 August 2020.
  4. ^ "Dates confirmed for Cook Islands tour of Americas". ARN. 17 October 2016. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
  5. ^ "All Blacks: Midas touch Dave Rennie puts a cat among All Blacks coaching pigeons". Stuff. 31 October 2019.
  6. ^ "Rugby; Upper Hutt premier rugby coach and new Wellington Lions NPC assistant coach Dave Rennie". Upper Hutt City Library.
  7. ^ "David Rennie (2000–2002)". Wellington Rugby. Archived from the original on 7 February 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  8. ^ a b "Chiefs chat: Dave Rennie – the good fella - Fitness Journal". 5 February 2015.
  9. ^ "Dave Rennie - Coach Extraordinaire". Manawatu Rugby. Archived from the original on 5 February 2012. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  10. ^ "Relentless Chiefs run away with title". New Zealand Herald. 4 August 2012. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  11. ^ "Burglars spoil Chiefs' win". Sport24. 6 August 2012. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  12. ^ "Chiefs coach Dave Rennie to be new head coach - Glasgow Warriors". www.glasgowwarriors.org. Archived from the original on 29 February 2016. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
  13. ^ "Munster Rugby v Glasgow Warriors Highlights – GUINNESS PRO12 Final 2014/15". 30 May 2015 – via www.youtube.com.
  14. ^ "Glasgow Warriors V Scarlets". Glasgow Warriors. Archived from the original on 31 August 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  15. ^ "Glasgow Warriors V Exeter Chiefs". Glasgow Warriors. Archived from the original on 31 August 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  16. ^ "Saracens V Glasgow Warriors". Glasgow Warriors. Archived from the original on 31 August 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  17. ^ Cleary, Mick; Richardson, Charles (11 May 2019). "Saracens beat Leinster to win a record third European crown". The Telegraph – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
  18. ^ "News, Scores, Results, Features". 29 May 2020.
  19. ^ "Dave Rennie: Glasgow Warriors coach says reign has been 'special'". BBC Sport. 29 May 2020.
  20. ^ "Wallabies win "significant fight" for Rennie's services, confident the Kiwi will prove his passion for Australian rugby". rugby.com.au. 20 November 2019. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  21. ^ "Rennie's 'poor coaching' ripped after shock loss". 13 November 2022.
  22. ^ "Cold-blooded way Rugby Australia axed Dave Rennie after three years". Fox Sports. 16 January 2023.
  23. ^ Reason, Mark (18 January 2023). "The shallow shame of Rugby Australia and its sacking of Dave Rennie". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  24. ^ "Rugby: Dave Rennie sacked as Wallabies head coach less than eight months out from 2023 World Cup, Eddie Jones to take over". Archived from the original on 28 January 2023 – via www.newshub.co.nz.
  25. ^ "Former Wallabies coach Dave Rennie makes decision over future". www.rugbypass.com. 26 May 2023.
  26. ^ "Blair to join Rennie in Japan with Kobe Steelers". BBC Sport. 23 June 2023.
  27. ^ "New Zealand Rugby appoints Dave Rennie as All Blacks Head Coach". 4 March 2026.
  28. ^ a b "Chiefs coach Dave Rennie 'the salt of the earth'". Stuff. 3 November 2013.