Roger Randle to join Hurricanes coaching staff

The Hurricanes can confirm that Roger Randle will join the club as an assistant coach ahead of the 2027 Super Rugby Pacific campaign.

Randle joins the Hurricanes as an assistant coach after eight years with the Chiefs and will oversee the club’s attacking portfolio as part of a coaching group headed by Clark Laidlaw alongside assistants Cory Jane and Jamie Mackintosh.

"I’m really excited to join the Hurricanes and work alongside Clark and the coaching group. To come back home to the Hurricanes is something my whānau and I are looking forward to, and I can’t wait to get started at the club,” Randle said.

A former Hurricanes wing, it will be a homecoming of sorts for the Hastings-born product. Randle brings a wealth of playing and coaching experience to the club, including five Hurricanes appearances between 1996 and 1997 before continuing his Super Rugby career with the Chiefs through until 2003.

The 52-year-old also represented Hawke’s Bay, the Central Vikings, and Waikato in the NPC, where he won the 2006 Air New Zealand Cup with Waikato and featured regularly throughout the province’s three-year Ranfurly Shield tenure between 1997 and 2000.

Internationally, Randle played twice for the All Blacks in 2001, was an eight-time Māori All Blacks representative, won two Commonwealth Games gold medals and the 2001 Sevens World Cup title with the New Zealand Sevens team, and took to the field for various other national sides.

Randle’s reputation as a prolific try-scorer is underlined by the 141 tries he scored in his 189 first-class appearances while playing in New Zealand.

After finishing his playing career with two seasons in Europe, Randle transitioned into a coaching career that has spanned two decades and has seen him hold positions with the New Zealand Barbarians, Waikato, Japan Sevens, Māori All Blacks, and Chiefs, in addition to other club, age-grade, and sevens roles.

During that time, Randle has established himself as among New Zealand’s leading attack coaches, which Laidlaw says will be a valued asset for the Hurricanes.

"It’s a hugely important and exciting appointment. We have some space for some coaches to come in, and to find a coach of Roger’s experience and ability, we feel grateful that he’s chosen to come here,” Laidlaw said.

“We’ve been an admirer of the Chiefs’ attack for a number of years. We know how hard it was to go up against them over the past few years, and he’s been a massive part of their success and their club.

“His Super Rugby experience, his coaching ability, the detail he brings, and the wide range of environments he’s coached in is going to be a real asset to us, and we really look forward to welcoming him and his family to the club.”

Hurricanes chief executive Tony Philp added: “Following a considered and thorough recruitment process, we are pleased to welcome Roger to our club. We have full confidence in his ability to represent the Hurricanes, and we look forward to connecting him into our club when he arrives in October.”

Roger Randle

Date of Birth: 15 May 1974 (52-years-old)
Place of Birth: Hastings
Position: Hurricanes Assistant Coach
Iwi: Ngāti Awa
Club: Te Rapa Rugby Sports Club 
School: Hastings Boys’ High School
Hurricanes Number: #22
Hurricanes Caps: 5 (Debut vs Blues, 1 March 1996)
Hurricanes Points: 0
Playing Career: NZ U21 (1995), NZ Sevens (1995-2002), Hawke’s Bay (1995-1996), Possibles (1995), Hurricanes (1996-1997), NZ Divisional (1996), NZ Māori (1996, 1998, 2000-2002), Central Vikings (1997), Chiefs (1998-2003), Waikato (1998-2004, 2006), NZ A (1998), All Blacks (2001), Bourgoin (2004-2005), L’Aquila Rugby (2006-2007), Crociati Parma (2007-2008)
Playing Honours: 2x Commonwealth Games (1998, 2002), Sevens World Cup (2001), Air New Zealand Cup (2006), Coppa Italia (2008)
Coaching Career: Japan Sevens (2014-2016), Waikato (2016-2018), New Zealand Barbarians (2017), Chiefs (2018-2026)
Coaching Honours: Ranfurly Shield (2018), Mitre 10 Cup Championship (2018)