Golden loyalty: Schmidt rules himself out of race for All Blacks job

1 month ago 17

Outgoing Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt has ruled himself out of contention for the vacant All Blacks job after informing New Zealand Rugby he will remain loyal to the Wallabies and Australian rugby through to the 2027 World Cup.

Schmidt, who will finish up as Wallabies coach in July, was sounded out by NZR about his interest in making a return to the All Blacks following Scott Robertson’s sacking on January 15, according to sources with knowledge of the matter who cannot comment publicly.

Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt is not in the contest to become the next All Blacks coach.

Schmidt has been one of the leading figures being touted in New Zealand as a potential replacement for Robertson, along with Jamie Joseph and Dave Rennie.

Senior Wallabies prop Allan Alaalatoa said on Friday it would be “weird” to come up against Schmidt at the World Cup, after the 60-year-old Kiwi had coached the Wallabies in 28 Tests during the past two years, and with another three Tests to come in July.

And it appears Schmidt feels the same way. An informed source said Schmidt has made it known he is fully committed to the Wallabies and Australian rugby “and will not be switching loyalties mid-[World Cup] cycle”.

Though RA wanted to convince him to stay as head coach through to the World Cup, Schmidt is handing over the head coach role to Les Kiss in August after deciding to prioritise time at home in New Zealand. Schmidt’s son Luke has special needs, and he has spoken openly about the struggle to balance work and home life while coaching in Australia.

Former New Zealand coach Scott Robertson shakes hands with Australia coach Joe Schmidt.

Schmidt’s ongoing loyalty to Australia, however, will be welcome news to Wallabies players, officials and fans, particularly given it will also boost the chances of the coach staying involved in some capacity through to the World Cup.

The coach has been coy about committing to an ongoing consultancy role with the Wallabies and RA, but there is a quiet confidence Schmidt will re-engage next year after a break.

Alaalatoa said on Friday Wallabies players held Schmidt in high esteem and hoped he would stay in their camp through to the tournament, which is being hosted by Australia.

“The boys do respect him so much, and we are hoping that he stays involved with us. It doesn’t have to be the Wallabies, but Australian rugby behind the scenes,” Alaalatoa said.

Joe Schmidt is respected by Wallabies players.

“Because what he’s done for our team in a short period of time has been massive. I think he’d only make positive movements for us in Australian rugby as a whole if he’s involved in some capacity.”

After Tony Brown also ruled himself out last week by reiterating his commitment to the Springboks through to the World Cup, Schmidt politely side-stepping the contest for the All Blacks job appears to leave a race in two, between another ex-Wallabies coach in Rennie, and Joseph, the ex-Japan and Highlanders coach.

Reports in New Zealand at the weekend said NZR, which is also still searching for a new chief executive following the exit of Mark Robinson, will likely announce more detail on their coach recruitment process on Monday.

It is unclear what Schmidt’s next coaching move will be after the World Cup, but NZR is also reportedly keen to get the experienced coach back in some capacity, likely as a senior coach for the All Blacks and/or in the broader NZR high-performance system. The highly respected Wayne Smith is reportedly leaving a similar role next year.

In reality, this was always a more likely scenario, given Schmidt replacing Robertson as All Blacks coach this year would have required a highly unusual transition, as he would not be available during their three Tests against France, Ireland and Italy in July.

Schmidt has also been linked with a return to Ireland, however, where is still feted after taking the Irish national team to No.1 in the world, and where he still has family. Former Springboks coach Jacques Nienaber comes off contract at Leinster midway through 2027 and Schmidt’s name has also been linked to a return to the powerhouse province, which he coached between 2011 and 2014.