Metro rugby
Marist Albion
2025: 1st, won final
Defending champions Marist Albion will have a new head coach in 2026 as they look to defend their title, with assistant coach Sam Chamberlain stepping up to the top job to replace Ross Kennedy.
Kennedy will still be an assistant coach, but he has opted to focus on his representative coaching duties with the Cavaliers side.
Linwood
2025: 4th, lost final
Brendan Nolan returns for his third season in charge of Linwood’s premier side and will look to continue the good work of recent years for the Bulls.
Under Nolan Linwood have made the final in each of the two seasons, securing their first title in 51 years in 2024 and falling narrowly short this year.
High School Old Boys
2025: 3rd, lost preliminary final
Old Boys have a new coach for the 2026 season with assistant coach Jimmy Hema replacing Joff Mooar in charge after a season where the side were knocked out in the preliminary final.
Hema has previously co-coached Old Boys alongside Pete Manson as well as taking charge at Belfast.
Lincoln University
2025: 7th, lost preliminary final
Matt MacDougall is staying on for a second year in charge of Lincoln University’s side, who made a good fist of the playoffs this year before being knocked out in the preliminary finals by eventual champions Marist.
MacDougall has previously coached the Crusaders under 18 and under 20 sides.
University of Canterbury
2025: 2nd, lost semi-final
New head coach Tim Belcher has replaced the outgoing Daniel O’Brien for 2026, taking the step up from directing the club’s colts program.
UC were knocked out in the semi-finals this year despite finishing second on the ladder, after suffering a defeat in the final in 2024.
Sydenham
2025: 5th, lost semi-final
Mark Croft is remaining at the helm of Sydenham, who were losing semi-finalists to Linwood after finishing fifth in the regular-season.
Croft, who is Sydenham’s rugby development officer, was also an assistant coach for Canterbury’s Farah Palmer Cup team who this year went down to Waikato in the final.
Belfast
2025: 10th, won plate final
Head coach Nathan Anderson is staying on at Belfast for his second year in charge of the team, after overseeing a season of two halves in 2025.
Belfast finished 10th in the regular season but went on a stunning run to win the plate competition, beating sixth place New Brighton in the final. Anderson said he believes if they had finished in the top eight and made the playoffs, they could have won the whole thing.
New Brighton
2025: 6th, lost plate final
Seaside stalwart Scott Pawson is returning for his 13th season in charge of New Brighton, having only missed the 2020 season since starting in 2013.
A former player, he led the team to sixth in the standings last year before they crashed out of the playoffs to Lincoln University, and eventually went down to Belfast in the plate final.
Burnside
2025: 8th, lost plate semi-final
Willie Brown returns to coach a Burnside team that had an up-and-down season in 2025, sneaking into the playoffs after finishing 8th before being knocked out, and going on to lose the plate semi-final.
Brown has played and coached through the grades since first joining Burnside in 2003.
Sumner
2025: 9th, lost plate semi-final
After being a whisker away from reaching the playoffs in 2025, Wave head coach Gareth D’Almeida is staying on for his third season in charge of the premier side.
D’Almeida has been involved as a player and coach at the club for more than 20 years, including playing under current All Blacks coach Scott Robertson.
Christchurch
2025: 11th, won 11th/12th playoff
Riki Tahere takes the reins at Christchurch next year, replacing Samuel Cottam in charge after an 11th-place finish.
Tahere has worked as RDO for both Sumner and Sydenham in the past and, most recently, was backs coach of the Crusaders’ development side this year.
Shirley
2025: 12th, lost 11th/12th playoff
Experienced coach Troy Manaena takes over at the Vikings next year after a season away from club rugby to focus on his family
Manaena, a former Canterbury women’s and New Brighton premier coach, will look to lift Shirley from a winless 2025 season.
Canterbury Bulls coach Andrew Auimatagi. Photo: Getty Images
CRL Premiership
Linwood Keas
2025: 1st, won grand final
Keas veteran Andrew Auimatagi will continue his second stint as head coach after guiding the side to the title in 2025.
Auimatagi previously coached from 2016-19 as the Keas won four straight titles and also led St Thomas’ first XIII.
Riccarton Knights
2025: 3rd, lost grand final
Sean Spooner has replaced Brent Ringdahl in charge of the Knights after falling short of their first title in 21 years this season.
Spooner was an assistant under Ringdahl this year as the Knights went down to Linwood in the grand final.
Halswell Hornets
2025: 2nd, lost preliminary final
Kevin Te Hau is the new man in charge at the Hornets, who have been forced into a change of coach after Raymond Hubbard re-joined Papanui Tigers for 2026.
Te Hau is a one-club man, having been with Halswell since his junior days and being a part of multiple grand final victories.
Hornby Panthers
2025: 5th
After a disappointing 2025 where the Panthers missed the playoffs as defending champions, former Eastern Eagles coach Archie Jacobs replaces Corey Lawrie at the helm.
Jacobs has coached numerous South Island age-group teams and is also a recruiter for NRL side Sydney Roosters.
Eastern Eagles
2025: 6th
Jarrod Race takes over as head coach of the Eagles after Archie Jacobs’ move to Hornby next year.
Race was an assistant last year as the Eagles finished sixth and also coached the Canterbury Bulls under 15 side.
Papanui Tigers
2025: 5th in Premier Reserves
Back in the premiership for the first time since 2022, Papanui have recruited former junior Raymond Hubbard to lead their premier side.
Hubbard coached at Halswell for the last four years and reached the grand final in 2024.
"I thought it was time to go back and help my junior club,” he said.
"I've really been able to find a lot of joy in my coaching, so it's happy days, and we are looking forward to the season.”
Northern Bulldogs
2025: 4th in Division 1, lost semi-final
Northern’s return to the premiership is not yet confirmed, but while the club is working through that process, they have appointed Jew Lawrie to lead the side next year.
Lawrie, a former Canterbury Bulls head coach, will be tasked with helping the club rebuild after two years outside the premiership.
