Super Rugby champs retain experienced coach

NEWS: Reigning Super Rugby Pacific champions, the Blues, have managed to convince Head Coach, Vern Cotter to resign for another year seeing him remain at the club until the end of the 2026 season.

The experienced coach, who has led several teams including Scotland and Fiji, tasted instant success after joining the Blues in 2024, overseeing a Super Rugby Pacific championship in his first season at the helm.

In 2014 he became the head coach of the Scotland national team. He led Scotland in the 2015 World Cup, where they reached the quarterfinals but narrowly lost to Australia.

During his tenure, Scotland showed improvement and achieved notable victories, including wins over France and Wales in the Six Nations Championship.

Despite his success with Scotland, Cotter’s contract was not renewed by the Scottish Rugby Union, and he left his position in May 2017. He then took up a coaching role with Montpellier in the French Top 14.

In January 2020, Cotter was appointed as the head coach of the Fiji national rugby team in preparation for the 2023 World Cup in France.

However, he resigned from his position in January 2023.

He said the contract extension is a signal there’s more work to be done.

“I’m not quite ready to be back on the farm full-time just yet!” quipped Cotter.

“I loved my first season here at the Blues and to have this contract extension confirmed after one year is a great show of confidence in me from the club and really sets my focus for the next two seasons with the team,” said Cotter.

“I have a great group of coaches and support staff around me and I want to help continue their growth and development. I will continue to challenge and support them on their own journeys,” he said.

In his short time at the Blues, Cotter has made a strong impact on not only the playing group but all the Blues staff he works alongside.

Additional source @BluesRugby