The Chiefs are searching for a new attack coach for the 2027 Super Rugby Pacific season after it was confirmed Roger Randle will depart at the end of the current campaign to join Irish club Munster.
Randle, who has been a pivotal part of the Hamilton-based franchise's coaching staff for nine years, will reunite with former Chiefs head coach Clayton McMillan, who now leads the famous Irish side. The move marks a significant step for Randle, a former Chiefs player himself, as he takes on a new challenge in the Northern Hemisphere's highly competitive United Rugby Championship.
The two-year contract with Munster comes after Randle re-signed with the Chiefs late in 2023 on a deal that was intended to run through 2026. However, the opportunity to work again with McMillan and test his skills in a new environment proved too compelling to refuse.
A long and successful career in Waikato
Randle, 51, boasts an impressive and extensive coaching résumé that spans various levels of the game. A former All Blacks winger who played two non-test matches in 2001, he represented the Hurricanes for five games (1996-97) before a successful 59-game career with the Chiefs from 1998 to 2003, during which he scored 32 tries.
His transition into coaching saw him take on roles in club rugby, age-grade teams, and with the Waikato provincial team in the NPC. His expertise was also called upon for the New Zealand Barbarians, who played against the touring British and Irish Lions in 2017, and he has been involved with the Māori All Blacks since 2018.
He joined the Chiefs coaching staff that same year, initially as an assistant backs coach. In 2020, he was promoted to lead the attack, a role he has held since, shaping the team's potent offensive strategies. His departure will leave a significant void in the Chiefs' coaching structure, which has benefited from his innovative approach for nearly a decade.
The lure of a new challenge
The move to Munster is not just a professional one for Randle, but also holds personal significance. His father is Irish, and his grandmother's family hails from Tipperary, providing a family connection to his new home. He said the timing was finally right to take his career overseas, with his youngest child finishing high school this year.
I’ve had similar opportunities over the last three or four years to give overseas a crack, but I just think it’s the right timing now, and with such a prestigious club like Munster, and being able to reconnect with Clayton, obviously is a pretty big drawcard.
Randle's name was immediately linked to the Munster job when it was announced in February that their current attack coach, Mike Prendergast, would be leaving. The close working relationship he shared with McMillan during their five years together at the Chiefs (2021-2025) was a major factor in the move.
“The other part was the chance to really challenge myself, the opportunity to go out and coach a different competition, different players, different environment. It makes you pretty nervous, but that’s what helps you grow as a player and a person, so I think I’m ready for that,” Randle told the Waikato Times.
Praise from the Chiefs' camp
Current Chiefs coach Jono Gibbes, who worked with Randle last season, praised his departing assistant's qualities. He highlighted Randle's “work ethic”, “innovation” and “the lens with which he looks at the game”. Gibbes acknowledged the inevitability of such moves in the world of professional rugby coaching. “It’s a great fit, obviously that partnership goes a long way back, and that’s the reality of professional coaching,” he said. “If you’ve got the right people working for you, there’s a good chance someone else is going to steal them.” He also noted that changes in coaching staff sometimes mirror broader trends, such as recent proposals in Ontario regarding trustee roles, where Ontario bill proposes slashing school trustee roles, pay.
Randle admitted he would miss the “human side” of the Chiefs environment, where many of his relationships with players had grown into “uncle-nephew” bonds. A self-professed “code-head,” he already follows European rugby closely and said some Munster players have already reached out to welcome him.
Chiefs focused on the present
While the search for a new attack coach begins, the Chiefs' immediate focus remains on the current Super Rugby Pacific season. They are preparing for a top-of-the-table clash against the Hurricanes in Hamilton this Saturday, a match with significant implications for both the competition and potential All Blacks selections.
Several key matchups will be under the microscope, including the duel at first-five between the Chiefs' own Damian McKenzie and the Hurricanes' rising star Ruben Love. McKenzie will be looking to assert his dominance to stake his claim for the All Blacks' No. 10 jersey. In the midfield, the clash between Quinn Tupaea and Billy Proctor is being viewed as an unofficial All Blacks trial.
Munster, meanwhile, have had a mixed season under McMillan. After a strong start, they are now in a battle for a quarterfinals spot in the United Rugby Championship and have been eliminated from both the Champions Cup and the Challenge Cup. Randle's arrival will be seen as a key step in bolstering their coaching setup for the next season as they look to build on their historic URC title from the 2022-23 season, won under previous coach Graham Rowntree. More information on the club's history can be found on the official Munster Rugby website.
Randle will link up with Munster in a few months, ready to embark on the next chapter of his coaching career.
