New Zealand Rugby has officially kicked off the search for the next All Blacks head coach, confirming the make-up of a five-person appointment panel.
The panel will be led by NZR Board Chair David Kirk and includes Board Member Keven Mealamu, high-performance specialist Don Tricker, Interim CEO Steve Lancaster, and a recently retired All Blacks player.
NZR will invite New Zealand-based coaches with international head coaching experience to apply, with the panel set to shortlist and interview candidates before making a recommendation.
The final call on who takes charge of the All Blacks will rest with the NZR Board.
Interim CEO Steve Lancaster said the appointment was one of the most significant decisions the organisation would make.
“The All Blacks head coach is an incredibly important appointment. We’ve started the process and are giving it the care and urgency it deserves to set the team up for success. We’ll provide further updates as soon as we can.”
The new coach will have just months to prepare the side, with the All Blacks scheduled to play their first Test of 2026 on 4 July in Christchurch.
Springboks Dominate Selection of the World’s Best XV for 2026
We’ve reviewed the international men’s rugby landscape and assembled our World XV for 2026, highlighting the standout performers in each position.
Unsurprisingly, the Springboks feature prominently, underlining South Africa’s continued dominance at the top of the global game.
BACK THREE
15. Will Jordan (New Zealand)
14. Cheslin Kolbe (South Africa)
11. Louis Bielle-Biarrey (France)
We kick-off our picks for the best players in the world, by focusing in upon the back-three flyers that have been lighting up the touch-lines this year. Starting at fullback with New Zealand’s Will Jordan, the Crusaders man continues to set the standard in a 15 jersey upon the Test match stage.
The All Blacks man has it all at his disposal, with game-breaking carries and blistering pace making him a constant threat at the gain-line. Jordan couples this with a powerful boot and a solid presence in the air. A stand-out operator for Scott Robertson this year, Jordan scored tries against Scotland and England this Autumn, and also showcased his versatility with a run-out on the wing in Saturday’s win over Wales.
Joining Jordan in the back-three is the wing partnership of South Africa’s Cheslin Kolbe, and Louis Bielle-Biarrey of France. The two enigmatic speedsters are closely followed by the Springboks’ Kurt-Lee Arendse, yet injury curtailed a predominant part of the scrum-capped sensations season. Kolbe slots in after a blistering Autumn campaign in green and gold, the Bordeaux-Begles bullet Bielle-Biarrey accompanying him on the wings.
CENTRES
13. Jesse Kriel (South Africa)
12. Sione Tuipulotu (Scotland)
Onto the midfield axis now, and there would have plenty of backing for an all-Springboks pairing of Jesse Kriel and Damian de Allende, had it not been for Scotland’s resident wrecking ball Sione Tuipulotu. The Glasgow Warriors man took a starring role upon the British & Irish Lions tour with a bruising partnership alongside fellow pain-maker Bundee Aki, with the Ireland star narrowly missing out on this World XV.
Tuipulotu rolled his hot form back into the URC campaign before enduring a stellar Autumnal season with Gregor Townsend’s side. The stand-out performer from Scotland’s back-line every time he dons the dark blue of the Highland nation, Tuipulotu’s crowning effort that saw him surpass de Allende, Jordie Barrett and Bundee Aki to this XV was his seismic shift against the All Blacks, in the gut-wrenching defeat at Murrayfield.
Jesse Kriel slots in at outside centre, as the man proved once again as to why he is considered perhaps the most underrated player in the Springboks squad.
Yes the shiny and new stardom of Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu grabs the headlines, and the front row and locks instil fear into their opponents before the ‘Bomb Squad’ is even deployed, but Rassie Erasmus has a steady, reliable and proven ‘big match player’ in Jesse Kriel that never fails to impress in each performance in green and gold.
