Warriors no stepping stone to Kiwi job
WORLD OF SPORT New coach Rennie focused on bringing glory to Glasgow
DAVE RENNIE insists he doesn’t have one eye on the All Blacks job as he prepares for a new adventure in Glasgow.
The 53-year-old has been tipped to replace Steve Hansen as New Zealand coach one day but he is adamant his full focus is on the Warriors.
And he’s looking forward to testing himself in the Pro14 after finally filling the shoes of Gregor Townsend at Scotstoun.
Rennie has started to plot his blueprint for Glasgow after leading the Chiefs to unprecedented success in Super Rugby, clinching titles in 2012 and 2013.
So he was quick to swat aside questions about the All Blacks job as he faced the press for the first time as Warriors coach.
Rennie said: “I’m not coming here to think I’ll position myself for an All Black role. Who knows? Steve Hansen might stay there for another couple of World Cups. “I saw this as a great opportunity for my wife and myself and a great opportunity to grow. The competition is different, it’s refereed differently and it’s almost a different game at times. “I’m going to learn a lot, playing in different conditions. Super Rugby is played in the summer so it’s going to be a little bit different here. “We will play in some challenging conditions and in different countries. The coaches here have a fair bit of experience of footie over here which will help. “It’s easy to stay where you are. But I’ve always been keen to coach overseas and this was a good fit with the timing. “There’s not many free weekends over here but we will try to sneak away to find some sun when those darker weekends come.” Townsend led Warriors to the Pro 12 title three ago and Rennie plans to restore them to former glories.
They finished sixth in Toony’s last campaign before he took over as Scotland coach and the new man believes his side can improve on that in the expanded tournament.
Two South African teams – the Cheetahs and Southern Kings – will take part this season alongside the usual teams from Scotland, Ireland, Wales and Italy.
Rennie’s knowledge of southern hemisphere rugby will be crucial when the Warriors step out of their comfort zone to take on the Springbok sides.
And the former Wellington centre is focusing on building a culture to bring the best out of his players.
He said: “You have to create a culture where they want to work hard for each other and play for something bigger than themselves. That’s why we’re keen to get around the region and get a real connection. I always found that has been a big part of it.
“In the competition I just came out
I’ve always been keen to coach overseas and timing made this a good fit DAVE RENNIE
of, we didn’t necessarily have the best side but we put ourselves in the race every time.
“I think the hard work that has been done in previous years puts us in a good position but we have a lot of work to do in developing players.” Mike Blair, who will continue as skills coach for the Warriors, is thrilled the club have landed a coach of Rennie’s calibre as a replacement for Townsend.
And he believes it’s a sign of things to come at the ambitious Scotstoun outfit. Blair said: “I’m really excited. Dave has only really been over for a couple of sessions but you can already see his influence.
“Change can be a really positive thing. Gregor was five years at the club and made a big impact.
“And the fact that Scottish Rugby and Glasgow have been able to bring in someone of Dave’s calibre show that we’re taking the Pro games seriously and wanting to take things to the next level.”