Beauden Barrett has expressed his delight that rugby in New Zealand is stable following the appointment of Dave Rennie as the All Blacks\u2019 new head coach.<\/p>\n
There was some instability in the game in that country after Rennie\u2019s predecessor, Scott Robertson, was fired from his position in the middle of January following a New Zealand Rugby review into the 2025 season headed by the governing body\u2019s chairman, David Kirk.<\/p>\n
As expected, there was plenty of speculation over who would take over the All Blacks<\/a>\u2018 coaching reins from Robertson with Rennie<\/a>, who currently coaches Japanese outfit Kobelco Kobe Steelers, and Highlanders boss Jamie Joseph emerging as favourites for the job.<\/p>\n Rennie was eventually appointed as New Zealand\u2019s new head coach last Wednesday on a short-term contract until the Rugby World Cup in Australia next year, although he will only take charge of the men in black after completing his coaching commitments in Japan in June.<\/p>\n Barrett<\/a> revealed that he was part of a group of players who participated in that review regarding Robertson\u2019s reign as the All Blacks\u2019 boss during their 2025 Test campaign and they were also asked about the decision to appoint Rennie to take over the coaching reins.<\/p>\n \u2018I\u2019m happy that\u2019s over\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cIt was certainly a thorough process. As a player, I\u2019m happy that\u2019s over, so we can focus on playing rugby,\u201d said Barrett.<\/p>\n The 34-year-old All Blacks playmaker is currently plying his trade with the Blues in Super Rugby Pacific and has been on the New Zealand rugby scene for more than a decade.<\/p>\n Prior to joining the Blues in 2020, Barrett made more than 100 appearances for the Hurricanes at Super Rugby level where he played against the Chiefs, who were coached by Rennie from 2012 to 2017.<\/p>\n Barrett also had a sabbatical stint with in Japan with Toyota Verblitz, where he also came up against Rennie\u2019s Kobelco Kobe Steelers and said he has spoken to players who were coached by the new All Blacks coach.<\/p>\n \u201cThere has obviously been really good praise for Dave Rennie with the track record he has. I\u2019ve spoken to a number of Chiefs players, and they hold him in very high regard,\u201d Barrett said.<\/p>\n \u201cI remember the earlier years of my career and how tough those Chiefs teams were with the success they had. He\u2019s certainly a man I have a lot of respect for.\u201d<\/p>\n Super Rugby Pacific Team Tracker: All Blacks duo bolster Hurricanes while Argentina great debuts for the Highlanders<\/a><\/p>\n Barrett forms part of the All Blacks\u2019 leadership group and revealed that he has been in contact with current All Blacks Anton Lienert-Brown and Ardie Savea, as well as ex-Test star Brodie Retallick, who, along with the aforementioned duo, are all playing under Rennie at Kobelco Kobe Steelers.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s only positive,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Because he is currently based in Japan, Rennie has revealed that he will have \u201cno loyalties\u201d to any players when he comes to New Zealand and names his All Blacks squad for their upcoming Tests against France, Italy and Ireland in July \u2013 an approach which Barrett welcomes.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery Super Rugby player feels that. We felt that with Razor when he came in a couple of years ago,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cWith Dave not coaching in New Zealand, it\u2019s probably even more so.<\/p>\n \u2018We should be earning our right to be an All Black\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cAnd so, it should be. We should be earning our right to be an All Black come selection.\u201d<\/p>\n