Blues' Super coaching saga continues

The issue of who will coach the Blues in next season's Super Rugby competition looks set to drag on until August.

Coach John Kirwan says he's comfortable with the Blues waiting until August to confirm whether he will continue in the job at the Auckland-based Super Rugby franchise next year.

Kirwan, who is off contract at the end of the season, wants to extend his tenure and has made a presentation to the board.

The Blues are languishing in 13th place with four matches to go, after finishing 10th in each of their first two seasons under Kirwan.

The franchise says it hasn't made a decision on any of the coaching positions for 2016 and will continue to assess the options.

"There is no immediate pressure on any coaching announcements," it said.

"At the start of the season, the board wanted the key coaching staff for 2016 in place by the recruitment phase from August and it is going to continue with that time frame."

Kirwan said he had no concerns about the August date.

He said he was confident in the process being conducted by the board and chief executive Michael Redman and his focus was on preparing the team to face the Bulls on Friday night.

"I just think they are doing due diligence," he said of the time frame.

"They are going through a process to make sure they are very confident that they are making the right decision."

Kirwan's presentation to the board a fortnight ago was reported to have included a proposal for Crusaders assistant Tabai Matson to be his assistant next year before Matson assumed the top job in 2017.

On Wednesday, the New Zealand Herald reported that Matson was in Auckland the previous day to talk to Blues players and board members, something Kirwan declined to comment on.

"Those things are confidential and I think I should be acting as a professional."


Share

2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world