Scotsman Clark Laidlaw has been named as New Zealand’s men’s sevens coach.
For the first time in the professional era, New Zealand Rugby have gone outside their pool of talented local coaches to appoint a foreigner to a national job.
Laidlaw, who has spent much of his coaching career in New Zealand, believes they have the best man to lead the country towards the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Laidlaw won’t take up the role until after the coming World Rugby Sevens Series, with his start date set for June 1, 2017.
Laidlaw has coached in New Zealand, as development and sevens coach in Taranaki, as New Zealand Sevens skills coach and video analyst from 2010 12 and Wellington's sevens program manager in 2014 15.
He worked with the Hurricanes as an assistant coach from 2013 until 2015, before moving to London Irish as an assistant last year.
Fiji born and former player Tomasi Cama and Scott Waldrom will take charge in the interim.
Laidlaw replaced long serving coach Gordon Tietjens, who resigned on September 6 following a failed Rio Olympic campaign in which New Zealand finished fifth.
NZR general manager Neil Sorensen said the organisation is prepared to wait for Laidlaw to finish up with London Irish, because of the faith it has in him being the right man to lead the national team.
Cama was already involved in the national programme as a video analyst during the past season.
Source: stuff.co.nz
