Dave Rennie Explained

Dave Rennie
Fullname:David Noel Rennie
Birth Date:22 November 1963
Birth Place:Upper Hutt, New Zealand
Height:189 cm
School:Heretaunga College
Position:Centre, Wing
Years1:1986–1991
Clubs1:Wellington
Apps1:58
Points1:60
Repyears1:1990
Repteam1:Cook Islands XV
Repcaps1:1
Reppoints1:0
Coachyears1:1999
Coachteams1:Wellington (assistant)
Coachyears2:2000–2002
Coachteams2:Wellington
Coachyears3:2002
Coachteams3:Hurricanes (assistant)
Coachyears4:2006–2011
Coachteams4:Manawatu
Coachyears5:2008–2010
Coachteams5:New Zealand U20
Coachyears6:2012–2017
Coachteams6:Chiefs
Coachyears7:2017–2020
Coachteams7:Glasgow Warriors
Coachyears8:2020–2023
Coachteams8:Australia
Coachyears9:2021
Coachteams9:Barbarians
Coachyears10:2023–
Coachteams10:Kobe Steelers
Clubupdate:20 November 2019
Repupdate:9 October 2021

Dave Rennie (born 22 November 1963) is a New Zealand and Cook Islands professional rugby union coach and former player. He will take over the Kobe Steelers as head coach for the 2023-24 season. He previously was the head coach of the Australia national rugby union team from 2020 to 2023, having previously coached New Zealand sides the Chiefs,,, the New Zealand U20, as well as in Scotland, with Glasgow Warriors from 2017 to 2020. Rennie's playing position was Centre.[1] In November 2019 he was named the head coach of the Australian national team until being sacked in January 2023.

Rugby union playing career

Amateur and provincial

Rennie played with Upper Hutt RFC in Wellington, New Zealand.[2] He finished playing early at 27 due to a recurring shoulder injury.[1]

Rennie played with the Wellington Lions. He won the NPC title with the Lions in 1986. Later as head coach he guided the team to their next NPC title 14 years later in 2000.

International

Rennie's mother was from Rarotonga in the Cook Islands, and thus Rennie was eligible for the Cook Islands national rugby union team.[3] He played for the Cook Islands national rugby union team for one game in 1990, but it was a non-capped match.[4]

Rugby union coaching career

Rennie has been described as "hard-nosed, doesn't tolerate fools, is astute and has a deep rugby intelligence."[5]

Early coaching career

After playing for the amateur side Rennie then coached Upper Hutt RFC.[6]

Wellington Lions

He became the assistant coach of the Wellington Lions in 1999 before becoming head coach in 2000. In his first year as the head coach, he led the Wellington Lions to their first NPC title since 1986.[7] He stayed with the Lions until 2002.

Hurricanes

Rennie became first the Hurricanes Under 23 head coach and then the assistant coach of the Hurricanes.

Rennie also coached at the New Zealand international academy.

Manawatu

Originally a short-term contract, Rennie was the coach of the Turbos in the ITM Cup from 2005 to 2011. Under Rennie the Turbos were Championship Runner-up in the 2011 ITM Cup.

New Zealand U20

Rennie was coach of the New Zealand national under-20 rugby union team and the team won three consecutive World titles from 2008 to 2010.[8]

Chiefs

He joined the Chiefs for the 2012 season and led them to their first ever Super Rugby title.[9] In doing so Rennie became the first first-year Super Rugby coach to win a Super Rugby title

The day of the final itself proved highly eventful. As Rennie guided the Chiefs to a 37–6 win over the Sharks, his house was robbed and valuables were stolen. A similar opportunist theft had occurred to Chiefs player Sonny Bill Williams several weeks earlier.[10]

He coached the Chiefs to their second straight Super Rugby title in the 2013 season, beating the Brumbies. Rennie's "rookie" streak was only superseded by Scott Robertson in 2019, who won six successive titles in his first three seasons as head coach of the Crusaders from 2017, winning in his rookie year, then again in 2018 - 2022.

Rennie's coaching record at the Chiefs was:

Glasgow Warriors

On 19 August 2016, Glasgow Warriors announced that Rennie would replace Gregor Townsend as head coach for the 2017–18 season.[11] Under Townsend, Warriors were a top Pro12 side; they reached the play-offs in every year of his charge – except his last; where he guided the Warriors to their first European Champions Cup Quarter-Final. Townsend won the Pro12 title with Glasgow Warriors in 2015.[12]

In Rennie's first season, Glasgow Warriors made the Pro14 semi-finals, but the side was beaten at Scotstoun Stadium by the Scarlets.[13] In the European Champions Cup they finished bottom of their pool.[14]

For the 2018–19 season, Glasgow Warriors reached the Pro14 final at Celtic Park in Glasgow. A large home-based Warriors support gave the Pro14 its biggest ever attendance for a final. Despite this Leinster capitalised on a Stuart Hogg error and ground out the match to win the title. In the European Champions Cup, Glasgow Warriors qualified out of the pool stages to meet Saracens in the quarter final. Having run Saracens very close at home; and matched them until the final quarter of the away pool match – Scottish hopes were raised for the quarter-final in London.[15] However Saracens saved their best performance for that match and then went on to win the European title.[16]

After a coronavirus curtailed season in the 2019–20 season, Glasgow Warriors were in the 3rd place of their conference; which would have normally secured a place in the play-off finals to determine the Pro14 champion. Danny Wilson took over the head coach role on 1 June 2020. On leaving Rennie said: “It’s been good for me. I was keen to experience a different culture and a different type of footie. Rugby goes forever up here, the seasons roll into one, so you have to be very detailed around your planning. Around the international commitments you lose players for big chunks of time so you have to bring through young kids and manage a much bigger squad."[17] Of Glasgow Warriors and Scotland he concluded: ""But it's the people I'll miss. A lot of it comes back to laughter. The Scottish are funny people and I haven't laughed as much in any environment as much as I have in my time here. I've travelled all over Scotland and had a decent look at various things. My grandfather was born in Stranraer so we spent a bit of time down there. We went up to Skye and went to Oban and went to this seafood restaurant right on the water and it was as good as any seafood I've ever tasted. I've loved the food, I've loved the people and I've loved our time here. It's been special, we'll miss it."[18]

Wallabies

On 20 November 2019, Rugby Australia announced that Rennie would replace Michael Cheika as head coach of the Wallabies.[19]

On 12th November 2022, Under pressure coach Dave Rennie defended making mass changes to his team after the Wallabies were stunned in a historic first loss (28-27) to Italy in Florence.[20]

On 16th January 2023, Rugby Australia announced that Rennie would be replaced by Eddie Jones.[21] [22] [23]

Kobe Steelers

It was announced that Rennie would take over the Kobe Steelers in Japan for the season 2023-24.[24] With him as assistant will be Mike Blair, previously a head coach of Edinburgh Rugby and who was an assistant coach under Rennie at Glasgow Warriors.[25]

Honours

Outside rugby

Rennie was a school teacher in Upper Hutt.[26] He taught to 12 and 13 year olds: 'intermediate', between primary and secondary education.[1] In comparing his former job of teaching with coaching rugby union, Rennie said: "Teaching, coaching, it's the same thing. The kids are just a bit bigger."[26]

While coaching Upper Hutt RFC at amateur level, Rennie owned and ran a pub called the Lonely Goat Herd in Upper Hutt, Wellington.[2]

Rennie plays guitar and also enjoys landscape gardening.[1]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The lowdown on Dave Rennie, the next Glasgow Warriors coach. 19 August 2016.
  2. Web site: From humble club roots, Chris Boyd and Dave Rennie share common coaching path. Stuff. 15 May 2015 .
  3. Web site: High hopes for Dave Rennie. 18 August 2020 .
  4. Web site: Dates confirmed for Cook Islands tour of Americas . 17 October 2016. ARN . 6 July 2022.
  5. Web site: All Blacks: Midas touch Dave Rennie puts a cat among All Blacks coaching pigeons. 31 October 2019. Stuff.
  6. Web site: Rugby; Upper Hutt premier rugby coach and new Wellington Lions NPC assistant coach Dave Rennie.. Upper Hutt City Library.
  7. Web site: David Rennie (2000–2002) . Wellington Rugby . 9 December 2016 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130207111117/http://wellingtonrugby.co.nz/about/our-history/people/284-david-rennie-2000-2002 . 7 February 2013 . dmy-all .
  8. Web site: Dave Rennie - Coach Extraordinaire . Manawatu Rugby . 9 December 2016 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120205053003/http://www.manawaturugby.co.nz/article/2539.html . 5 February 2012 . dmy-all .
  9. News: Relentless Chiefs run away with title . New Zealand Herald . 4 August 2012 . 9 December 2016.
  10. News: Burglars spoil Chiefs' win . Sport24 . 6 August 2012 . 9 December 2016.
  11. Web site: Chiefs coach Dave Rennie to be new head coach - Glasgow Warriors. www.glasgowwarriors.org. 13 August 2017. 29 February 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160229212627/https://www.brumbies.com.au/uncategorised/alexander-re-signs-ahead-of-bulls-clash. dead.
  12. Web site: Munster Rugby v Glasgow Warriors Highlights – GUINNESS PRO12 Final 2014/15. www.youtube.com.
  13. Web site: Glasgow Warriors V Scarlets. Glasgow Warriors.
  14. Web site: Glasgow Warriors V Exeter Chiefs. Glasgow Warriors.
  15. Web site: Saracens V Glasgow Warriors. Glasgow Warriors.
  16. News: Saracens beat Leinster to win a record third European crown. Mick. Cleary. Charles. Richardson. The Telegraph . 11 May 2019. www.telegraph.co.uk.
  17. Web site: News, Scores, Results, Features. 29 May 2020 .
  18. News: Dave Rennie: Glasgow Warriors coach says reign has been 'special'. BBC Sport . 29 May 2020.
  19. Web site: Wallabies win "significant fight" for Rennie's services, confident the Kiwi will prove his passion for Australian rugby. rugby.com.au. 20 November 2019.
  20. Web site: Rennie's 'poor coaching' ripped after shock loss .
  21. Web site: Cold-blooded way Rugby Australia axed Dave Rennie after three years. 16 January 2023. Fox Sports.
  22. Web site: The shallow shame of Rugby Australia and its sacking of Dave Rennie. Mark. Reason. 18 January 2023. The Sydney Morning Herald.
  23. Web site: Rugby: Dave Rennie sacked as Wallabies head coach less than eight months out from 2023 World Cup, Eddie Jones to take over. www.newshub.co.nz.
  24. Web site: Former Wallabies coach Dave Rennie makes decision over future. 26 May 2023. www.rugbypass.com.
  25. Web site: Blair to join Rennie in Japan with Kobe Steelers. www.bbc.co.uk.
  26. Web site: Chiefs coach Dave Rennie 'the salt of the earth'. Stuff. 3 November 2013 .