Rugby: Chiefs coach keen on foreign stint

Dave Rennie
Dave Rennie
Twice Super Rugby-winning coach Dave Rennie has no immediate designs on an All Blacks coaching job and instead wants to head overseas after his Waikato Chiefs contract ends next year.

The 52-year-old, who coached the national under-20 side to three consecutive world titles in 2008-10, has been touted as a possible addition to Steve Hansen's panel or even a successor to the World Cup-winning mentor.

But Rennie said he had no intention of rushing anyone out the door and felt Hansen, whose contract expires at the end of 2017, would change his mind about leaving next year and continue to the 2019 World Cup in Japan.

"I have always talked about going overseas just to experience different culture and so on and so I am pretty keen to do that when my contract here runs out in 2017," Rennie told New Zealand's Radio Sport.

"I think from an All Black point of view Steve Hansen will stay anyway and that will be a good move from New Zealand Rugby.

"They are going well and defending champions and why push someone out the door?

"I think he will stay until the next World Cup and then there will be a number of people putting their hand up."

Rennie's Chiefs are currently leading the Super Rugby standings with six wins from their seven games as they prepare for a blockbuster away clash against last year's finalists, the Wellington Hurricanes.

Since winning the second of their back-to-back titles in 2013, the Chiefs have overhauled their playing roster and the new generation have helped lay a platform for a third championship tilt this season.

"We've got a pretty young side," said Rennie.

"We've picked a lot of kids for the future and I've just been impressed how hard they've worked and how they've stepped up."

 

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