'The ideal scenario is that the next coach is Australian': Dave Rennie drops hint at Wallabies coaching future
Wallabies head coach Dave Rennie has hinted that he may not stick around with the Australian national side beyond the 2023 World Cup.
The 56-year-old New Zealander, who is yet to take charge of his first game for the Wallabies due to the COVID-19 outbreak, instead believes an Australian should succeed him in once his tenure comes to an end.
Rennie took charge of the Wallabies this month after concluding his time with Scottish PRO14 side Glasgow Warriors, replacing former boss Michael Cheika, who led Australia to a quarter-final exit at last year's World Cup in Japan.
Becoming just the second Kiwi to take the job after Robbie Deans was signed by Rugby Australia in 2008, Rennie's appointment comes with the task of re-building the Wallabies after falling to a lowly seventh place on the World Rugby rankings.
The added weight of expectation to end a 17-year Bledisloe Cup drought against the All Blacks and help revive rugby union's declining status within Australia also loom as prominent aspects on Rennie's agenda.
While many see the two-time Super Rugby-winning coach as the right man to meet those expectations, the former Chiefs boss suggested he may only have until France 2023 to fulfil those expectations as he remains "uncertain" about extending his current four-year deal.
“I’m not certain,” he told The Australian on Monday when asked if he planned to be around for the 2027 World Cup.
“The ideal scenario is that the next coach is Australian and there needs to be some thought around that. If there is someone ready to go after the [2023] World Cup, that may be in the best interests of Australian rugby.
“You can’t think too far ahead in this game.
“I’m fully committed to the [2023] World Cup but what happens beyond that ... there has to be an emphasis around identifying and developing other coaches to coach Australia.”
The Wallabies' first assignment under the tutelage of Rennie remains unclear as the COVID-19 pandemic has effectively eliminated the international calendar this year.
Hopes remain high, however, for a four-match Bledisloe Cup series against the All Blacks between October and November, while talks are underway for a revised Rugby Championship to take place exclusively in New Zealand at the end of the year.
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You forget this is Rassie Erasmus who is still holding the Springbok keys. Even with Felix Jones orchestrating a really tight RWC SF last year. It still wasn't enough to get England past their particular Springbok Monkey in world cups. The reason is FJ was going off of what they did in 2019 not necessarily adapting to current Springboks. So yes, Australia can get passed England because let's be honest, England have a one track strategy, Springboks do not. Even with rush defense I wouldn't be surprised if Rassie continually tweaks it. Also bear in mind Rassie is happy to sacrifice a few mid year and inter World Cup matches to pin point how opposition plays and how to again tweak strategies to get his Springboks in peak performance for the next World Cup. As much as most teams like to win games in front of them and try to win everything, Rassie always makes sure to learn and train for the greatest showdown International Rugby has to offer. Tbh, most people remember World Cup wins and ignore intermediate losses as a result but will remember also WC losses, Ireland, even if they won games in the interim. So even if games are won against the Springboks, it's likely Rassie is just getting a feel for how opposition is moving and adapt accordingly…in time.
Go to commentsDanny don't care. He pretends to care but he don't. He says all this stuff to justify his reasoning but no one can claim that legitimately. He knew exactly what he was doing and wondered if his old team mate would overlook it, which he did. Ref has got to be sidelined or properly trained. It's one thing for refs to move up the ranks but if it was me I would require refs to either have played in different clubs or not at all having the temptation to bias in high stakes games like this. This has got to be stamped out. But then again World Rugby is so destroying the game of rugby in an attempt to be more “safe” and “concussion free”. What they are doing is making it more infuriating for the fans and more difficult for the refs to officiate evenly and consistently. It's fast become Australian Rules football. If guys don't want concussions, they should have played chess. Stop complaining you oldies of the game. When they played the game was vastly heavier hitting than it is now but of course they can't see that.
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