How a WhatsApp joke helped Scotsman Mike Blair become All Blacks assistant coach

Wednesday, 25 March 2026

The Aotearoa Rugby Pod break down the skills and strategy of Scot Mike Blair — the man All Blacks coach Dave Rennie trusts with his attack.

It’s incredible where a joke can get you.

That’s certainly the case for new All Blacks attack coach Mike Blair, one of three new assistants confirmed on Tuesday to work under incoming head coach Dave Rennie through 2027.

After all, the 44-year-old former Scotland halfback almost certainly wouldn’t have landed his new role had it not been for jokey WhatsApp conversation a few years ago.

Blair was head coach of Edinburgh at the time, and was a member of a WhatsApp group which included Rennie, who he worked under at the Glasgow Warriors between 2017 and 2019.

“Dave was getting some abuse for losing his job with Australia and one of the guys, John Mansen, said 'oh, you'll be off to Japan, then'. And I jokingly said, 'well, if you fancy taking an attack coach I'm in',” Blair told The Scotsman in 2023.

“He [Rennie] actually messaged me separately and said, 'Mike, are you actually interested?' It was 'oh jeez… yeah!'”

Despite being head coach of Edinburgh since 2021, the team he amassed 169 games for between 2002 and 2012, Blair was set on becoming a “world-class attack coach”.

The most capped (85) halfback in Scotland history realised he needed to get out of his comfort zone if he was to get there, prompting him to join Rennie at Japanese club Kobe.

The All Blacks coaching team under Dave Rennie.

“I've been back with Scottish Rugby since 2015, seven years coaching, one year playing, and prior to that I was at Edinburgh from birth until I was 31. I've only really been away from Scotland for three years, one year in Brieve and two in Newcastle,” Blair told The Scotsman of his decision at the time.

“There's great comfort in that, and having family around, but I've known a lot of the players for a long time. Part of coaching is finding the key to unlock a player's potential.

“Getting to know players and building a bond with them. I think to test that you've got to go somewhere where you don't know people. You have to start again from scratch and be able to put your opinion over and get them to buy into that. That's going to be really important for me.”

While All Blacks Ardie Savea and Anton Lienert-Brown are on sabbatical with Kobe, Blair will essentially be starting from scratch again when he joins Rennie in New Zealand, taking over the attacking reins of the No 2 ranked All Blacks.

It goes without saying it will be an entirely different challenge to coaching in Japan, but Rennie clearly rates the man who captained Scotland 14 times and featured at three World Cups, including in New Zealand in 2011.

“I’m proud and honoured to be joining the All Blacks coaching group. The history and expectations around this team are well known, and I’m looking forward to playing my part in continuing that tradition,” Blair said in a statement.

“I’m excited to get to work maximising the talent of the players and collaborating with the staff to help drive the team forward.”

They’re key words considering it was a perceived lack of trajectory that cost Scott Robertson his job as All Blacks coach after two years.

Before he was effectively sacked in January, two attack coaches - Leon MacDonald and Jason Holland - walked away from the team.

Robertson’s All Blacks weren’t guilty of failing to create chances, but they were at fault when it came to cashing in opportunities through a lack of polish.

It’s now up to a former Scotland player, who also worked as an assistant coach for his country under Gregor Townsend between 2017-2021, to light a fuse under the team’s attack.

“Having people around Dave that he's worked with, that's he confident in the ability of, and have aligned philosophies, is really important, and that's certainly true of Mike,” interim New Zealand Rugby chief executive Steve Lancaster said.

“They've worked together a lot, Mike will bring a lot and we're excited by what he will bring.”

MIKE BLAIR AT A GLANCE

PLAYING

2002-2012 - Edinburgh (169 games)

2013-2015 - Newcastle (34 games)

2002-2012 - Scotland (85 games)

COACHING

2016-2019 - Glasgow (assistant)

2017-2021 - Scotland (assistant)

2021-2023 - Edinburgh (head coach)

2023-2026 - Kobe Steelers (assistant)