Former Wallabies head coach Dave Rennie is reportedly in talks to join the Blues ahead of the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific season.
Eddie Jones replaced Rennie as the Wallabies’ head coach in January after he was sacked from his position with England.
Rennie to replace MacDonald?
Rennie famously led the Chiefs to Super Rugby glory in 2012 and 2013 and coached the side until he joined the Glasgow Warriors in 2017.
He took over as the Wallabies’ head coach from Michael Cheika in 2020, but following his sacking in January, he has not been involved in the professional game since then.
The 59-year-old was rumoured to be off to Japan after the 2023 Rugby World Cup, where he was set to join long-time mentor Wayne Smith at the Kobelco Kobe Steelers.
However, according to a new report from the New Zealand Herald, he could return to the land of the long white cloud instead.
The report states that Rennie has met with Blues’ representatives as they see him as a replacement for Leon MacDonald.
MacDonald is set to vacate his role at the Blues at the end of the current Super Rugby season, and Rennie is believed to be the preferred candidate to take the job.
The current Blues boss is one of the names linked with Scott Robertson’s All Blacks coaching team, while he is also reportedly on Scotland’s wishlist to replace Gregor Townsend.
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He was also linked with a move to Leinster to replace Stuart Lancaster, who will head to Racing 92 next season, but Leo Cullen downplayed those reports.
“Not really. You’re coaxing me into saying too much already. In a week or two when the dust settles it will be a lot easier to have a proper conversation instead of trying to avoid saying something that’s going to become a headline,” MacDonald said last week when asked about the rumours.
Jones names first Wallabies squad
Meanwhile, Jones has named his first Wallabies training squad since taking over the team.
The squad includes uncapped youngsters Max Jorgensen, Josh Flook, Blake Schoupp, and Brad Wilkin.
The likes of Noah Lolesio, Jake Gordon, Harry Wilson and Tate McDermott miss out.
READ MORE: Wallabies: Teen star Max Jorgensen gets the nod in Eddie Jones’ first squad