Tana Umaga emerges as candidate for Dave Rennie’s new All Blacks coaching team
Thursday, 12 March 2026
Tana Umaga is one candidate Dave Rennie may want in his shake-up of the All Blacks’ coaching team.
Umaga, the Moana Pasifika head coach, was speaking in Albany on Thursday and revealed there “was a bit of interest” from his agent about a chat with Rennie.
The new All Blacks coach, appointed last week, has made compiling his assistants one immediate priority and Umaga has emerged as a contender.
The legendary ex-All Blacks captain awkwardly wandered over to reporters at Moana’s training base by North Harbour Stadium and addressed what he called “speculation”.
“I’m not too sure,” Umaga said. He didn’t deny the possibility of becoming an assistant with the All Blacks once Rennie’s tenure begins in June.
New Zealand Rugby has declined to comment, but it’s understood an announcement on Rennie’s assistants could be as soon as next week.
Umaga added: “I've got a lot of texts and calls, and obviously there's a bit of interest here. Look, I don't really deal in speculation and things like that.
“[I’m] really honoured and privileged to be involved in the conversation. I suppose it was my turn this week.
“I saw there’s a lot of names involved on who Rens is looking for. At this stage, it is what it is.”
The 52-year-old nevertheless said he wouldn’t turn down the chance to talk with Rennie, who he played under for Wellington in the early 2000s.
“There was a bit of interest, in terms of having a chat with him with from my agent, just to see if anything comes up, would it come through,” Umaga said.
“You wouldn’t turn that down, would you? So we’re just waiting for those things to happen and, you know, look, if it happens, it happens.”
Umaga bemoaned the timing of his link to the All Blacks, ahead of his Moana team’s Super Rugby Pacific match against the Blues at Eden Park on Sunday afternoon.
“My family are the ones that are kind of letting me know what's happening. I'm getting a lot of these texts, so I had to turn my phone off,” Umaga said.
“I’d be interested if they wanted to talk about what Moana's doing and things like that. Like I said, honoured, honoured to be involved in that conversation.”
Umaga said there was no “done deal”.
“I just go back to what I say to my players. Until it's a done deal and everything's down on paper, then it is exactly what we're talking about here, it's speculation,” he said.
“Again, it's great to be in that conversation, but it is a bit of a nuisance right now.”
After Rennie’s unveiling last week, two of his former Chiefs assistants, Neil Barnes and Andrew Strawbridge, have also been linked with roles.
As the first All Blacks coach of Pasifika heritage, Rennie considering Umaga as an assistant indicates he is pushing to get his own coaching staff.
While his predecessor Scott Robertson was sacked in January, there has been no updates from NZ Rugby on the fate of Robertson’s assistants, who were Jason Ryan, Scott Hansen, Tamati Ellison and Bryn Evans.
Umaga has held coaching jobs with Counties Manukau, New Zealand’s under-20s, the Blues, Samoa and led Moana since 2023.
He said the All Blacks still “means a lot to me and that hasn’t changed”. He endorsed Rennie’s appointment.
“His addition to the All Blacks is positive. As an All Blacks fan, I’m happy that we’ve got someone there now,” Umaga said.
“Knowing Dave, I’m happy that he’s got the job. I have faith in what he’s doing, and I’m just getting in behind him as an All Blacks fan.”
Umaga said he was also “very passionate” about leading Moana.
“You know that really takes precedence for me at this stage. I’m very happy with what I’m doing here and what we’re striving to do to keep it alive for others.”
Rennie has said he was aiming to revitalise a listing All Blacks team by tapping into their culture and legacy, and someone of Umaga’s calibre would command respect.
The 74-test All Black was a formidable centre and winger in his international career from 1997 to 2005, an era when New Zealand were the game’s dominant force, albeit without winning a Rugby World Cup.
As a head coach, Umaga has established a strong cultural identity at Moana.
Last year was their best to date with All Blacks loose forward Ardie Savea in stunning form, although they couldn’t make the playoffs for the first time and have made a slow start this season with three defeats from four.
Savea, one of the senior All Blacks on sabbatical in Japanese rugby until June, would likely endorse any move for Umaga before returning for the All Blacks’ July tests at home against France, Italy and Ireland.