Dave Rennie will name a new All Blacks captain in 2026, with Scott Barrett set for five months on the sidelines.<\/p>\n
The 32-year-old lock suffered a back injury, which will require surgery, a cruel setback after he opted to take up a non-playing sabbatical and miss the majority of the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season to correct ankle and Achilles problems.<\/p>\n
However, the hammer blow occurred upon his return to training following the break, and he will now miss the All Blacks<\/a>\u2018 home leg of the Nations Championship<\/a> as well as the highly anticipated Rugby\u2019s Greatest Rivalry tour to South Africa. Barrett was the official captain under former head coach Scott Robertson throughout his tenure, with Ardie Savea filling in when he was absent.<\/p>\n With Barrett sidelined for much of the international season<\/a>, we take a look at who Rennie could turn to in the interim and perhaps until the World Cup at the very least.<\/p>\n Frontrunners: Codie Taylor, Ardie Savea<\/p>\n Rennie<\/a> first addressed the captaincy in March, stating that he hadn\u2019t made a decision yet on who he would turn to.<\/p>\n \u201cI think you\u2019ve got to work through those things, and I\u2019m keen to have a chat to players,\u201d he said. \u201cObviously, Scott Barrett, a fantastic player and the current captain, I\u2019d be keen to have a chat with him about going forward.\u201d<\/p>\n Reports in April then stated that the new head coach had two players in mind, Barrett and Savea<\/a>, with the former sidelined and the latter emerging as a favourite, particularly amongst the fans. Savea is very much the people\u2019s captain, with many clamouring for him to get the armband even before the 2023 World Cup, with Ian Foster preferring Sam Cane.<\/p>\n Having filled the role previously, handing the responsibility to Savea would not only be a hugely popular call but a sensible one too. He not only has vast international experience but is well-respected in the All Blacks squad and would not shy away from the responsibility. It\u2019s also incredibly important that whoever gets the role, has to be an out-and-out starter for the side and whether it\u2019s at openside or at number eight, Savea is bound to be a first-choice in the starting XV.<\/p>\n And the same is true for the other front-runner, Codie Taylor, who has plenty of support, particularly from All Blacks legend Jeff Wilson<\/a>. Like Savea, he has played 100 times for New Zealand, and while he hasn\u2019t skippered the Test team before, he is a leader in the All Blacks squad, has captained the Crusaders several times, and is likely to be the starting hooker. He will have stiff competition for the number two jersey, but frankly, he is the most complete hooker in New Zealand.<\/p>\n All Blacks: Ex-manager on \u2018awesome\u2019 Graham Henry confession, why Ian Foster \u2018didn\u2019t have a chance\u2019 and \u2018skill\u2019 that transformed Richie McCaw\u2019s captaincy<\/a><\/p>\n Next in line: Jordie and Beauden Barrett<\/p>\n Scott\u2019s younger brother, Jordie, or his elder brother, Beauden, are also genuine options for Rennie. Like the aforementioned pair, both Barretts boast massive international experience and have been in the team\u2019s leadership group for several seasons.<\/p>\n In fact, Jordie has repeatedly been listed as the team\u2019s vice captain when Scott or Savea have skippered the side. He is yet to hold the captaincy title in a Test match, but he too is bound to be one of the first names on Rennie\u2019s teamsheet. There is much debate around the make-up of the All Blacks midfield, but that is centred around who joins him in the centres rather than whether he features at all.<\/p>\n A starting role for Beauden is far less straightforward, particularly if Rennie is looking to appoint a captain now that will take the team through to the World Cup. Still a world-class operator, Barrett could well be usurped as the first-choice fly-half by either Damian McKenzie or Richie Mo\u2019unga in the coming months. It\u2019s unlikely that Rennie will oust him completely due to his age, with Quade Cooper previously playing a big role in Rennie\u2019s Wallabies teams despite being in the latter stages of his career.<\/p>\n Jordie would certainly be a longer-term view appointment while Beauden could be a handy stop-gap if that\u2019s needed. Either way, both players could easily step into the role.<\/p>\n Exasperated All Blacks legends \u2018dumbfounded\u2019 by NZ Rugby who are missing \u2018perfect\u2019 opportunity with Richie Mo\u2019unga<\/a><\/p>\n Outside bet: Patrick Tuipulotu<\/p>\n Fitness permitting, Patrick Tuipulotu will almost certainly get the nod for the All Blacks matchday 23, particularly after the injury to Barrett. The Blues\u2019 second rower is a classy operator who repeatedly put in strong performances during Robertson\u2019s era, but injuries have always limited his progression.<\/p>\n Still with 58 Test caps under his belt, he is no stranger to the international game and has vast experience captaining the Blues at Super Rugby level. At 33, he is still very much in contention to be a regular for the All Blacks from now and through to the World Cup, even with stiff competition in the second row from the likes of Fabian Holland, Tupou Vaa\u2019i, Sam Darry, and Josh Lord.<\/p>\n He led the All Blacks against Japan back in 2024 and could well do the job in a one-off Test again but don\u2019t write him off completely in doing it more long term.<\/p>\n All Blacks legend believes Ardie Savea is the \u2018perfect\u2019 captain as World Cup hero argues debate is \u2018overhyped\u2019 and doesn\u2019t matter<\/a><\/p>\n Wild card: Quinn Tupaea<\/p>\n A leader at the Chiefs, Quinn Tupaea, is understood to be held in high regard in the All Blacks squad too. With just 24 Test caps, he is one of the less experienced options at international level but that might not matter too much to Rennie.<\/p>\n There is a question mark about whether he is a first-choice centre for the new All Blacks head coach. Last year, he shone in the role for the side, but there are several quality midfielders making strong claims in Super Rugby Pacific to be Barrett\u2019s centre partner.<\/p>\n