Dave Rennie (born 22 November 1963) is a New Zealand and Cook Islands professional rugby union coach and former player. He will take over the Kobe Steelers as head coach for the 2023-24 season. He previously was the head coach of the Australia national rugby union team from 2020 to 2023, having previously coached New Zealand sides the Chiefs, , , the New Zealand U20, as well as in Scotland, with Glasgow Warriors from 2017 to 2020. Rennie's playing position was Centre. In November 2019 he was named the head coach of the Australian national team until being sacked in January 2023.
Rugby union playing career
Amateur and provincial
Rennie played with Upper Hutt RFC in Wellington, New Zealand. He finished playing early at 27 due to a recurring shoulder injury.
Rennie played with the Wellington Lions. He won the NPC title with the Lions in 1986. Later as head coach he guided the team to their next NPC title 14 years later in 2000.
International
Rennie's mother was from Rarotonga in the Cook Islands, and thus Rennie was eligible for the Cook Islands national rugby union team. He played for the Cook Islands national rugby union team for one game in 1990, but it was a non-capped match.
Rugby union coaching career
Rennie has been described as "hard-nosed, doesn't tolerate fools, is astute and has a deep rugby intelligence."
Early coaching career
After playing for the amateur side Rennie then coached Upper Hutt RFC.
Wellington Lions
He became the assistant coach of the Wellington Lions in 1999 before becoming head coach in 2000. In his first year as the head coach, he led the Wellington Lions to their first NPC title since 1986. He stayed with the Lions until 2002.
Hurricanes
Rennie became first the Hurricanes Under 23 head coach and then the assistant coach of the Hurricanes.
Rennie also coached at the New Zealand international academy.
Manawatu
Originally a short-term contract, Rennie was the coach of the Turbos in the ITM Cup from 2005 to 2011. Under Rennie the Turbos were Championship Runner-up in the 2011 ITM Cup.
New Zealand U20
Rennie was coach of the New Zealand national under-20 rugby union team and the team won three consecutive World titles from 2008 to 2010.
Chiefs
He joined the Chiefs for the 2012 season and led them to their first ever Super Rugby title. In doing so Rennie became the first first-year Super Rugby coach to win a Super Rugby title
The day of the final itself proved highly eventful. As Rennie guided the Chiefs to a 37–6 win over the Sharks, his house was robbed and valuables were stolen. A similar opportunist theft had occurred to Chiefs player Sonny Bill Williams several weeks earlier.
He coached the Chiefs to their second straight Super Rugby title in the 2013 season, beating the Brumbies. Rennie's "rookie" streak was only superseded by Scott Robertson in 2019, who won six successive titles in his first three seasons as head coach of the Crusaders from 2017, winning in his rookie year, then again in 2018 - 2022.
Rennie's coaching record at the Chiefs was:
2012: 16 matches in round robin for 12 wins, 4 losses and points scored were 444 for & 358 against. The Chiefs won the semi-final versus the Crusaders 20–17 and the final against the Sharks 37–6. 2013: 16–12–0–4, points 458–364. Wins in semi final versus the Crusaders 20–19 and final against the Brumbies 27–22. 2014: 16–8–2–6, points 384–378. Placed 2nd in New Zealand conference and 5th overall. Lost quarter final 30–32 versus the Brumbies at Canberra. 2015: 16–10–0–6, points 372–299. Placed 5th. Lost quarter final against the Highlanders. 2016: 15–11–0–4, points 491–341. Placed 6th. Won quarter final 60–21 versus the Stormers but lost the semifinal against the Hurricanes 9–25. 2017: 15–12–1–2, points 433–293. Placed 5th. Won quarter final versus the Sharks 17–11 but lost the semi-final 13–27 against the Crusaders.
Glasgow Warriors
On 19 August 2016, Glasgow Warriors announced that Rennie would replace Gregor Townsend as head coach for the 2017–18 season. Under Townsend, Warriors were a top Pro12 side; they reached the play-offs in every year of his charge – except his last; where he guided the Warriors to their first European Champions Cup Quarter-Final. Townsend won the Pro12 title with Glasgow Warriors in 2015.
In Rennie's first season, Glasgow Warriors made the Pro14 semi-finals, but the side was beaten at Scotstoun Stadium by the Scarlets. In the European Champions Cup they finished bottom of their pool.