Next England manager: ‘I’m not interested in the job,’ says Wales coach Warren Gatland
Exclusive: The 52-year-old Kiwi has been with the Dragons for eight years and has a contract until 2019
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Warren Gatland insists he is “not interested” in being England’s next head coach, while a fellow New Zealander with no experience of coaching outside his own country has emerged as a surprise contender.
Gatland is currently holidaying in New Zealand after leading Wales to the World Cup quarter-finals, including a win over England at Twickenham. A newspaper report on Friday stated he would be open to an offer from the Rugby Football Union (RFU) if the financial terms were right. But when contacted by The Independent on Sunday Gatland said he was “not interested in the England job”. The 52-year-old has been with Wales for eight years and has a contract until 2019.
Meanwhile, a much less well-known product of New Zealand north-island rugby, Dave Rennie, is quoted at 10-1 with some UK bookmakers for the England job, among the five shortest-priced favourites behind Jake White, Gatland, Eddie Jones and Jim Mallinder.
Rennie, 51, is currently preparing for his fifth Super Rugby season in charge of the Waikato-based Chiefs, having led them to the title in his first two years, 2012 and 2013.
He was previously coach of New Zealand Under-20s, winning consecutive world championships from 2008 to 2010, and has worked with World Cup-winning All Blacks including Sonny Bill Williams, Brodie Retallick and Julian Savea. He also coached Manawatu and spent 2003 to 2007 as a “resource coach” at the private International Rugby Academy of New Zealand.
In his playing career Rennie was never an All Black, but he played as a centre and utility back for the powerful Wellington province more than 50 times, and later coached them to the New Zealand provincial championship.
Others in the frame for the England job include Michael Cheika and Nick Mallett.
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