The Highlanders have announced that former All Blacks and Japan coach Jamie Joseph will coach the Super Rugby Pacific side next year.
Joseph, the current head of rugby, has accepted the head coach role, while Clarke Dermody will remain with the Highlanders as the assistant coach.
Dermody is proud of the team’s accomplishments this year, and he is confident that the club will reap the benefits of Joseph’s coaching influence next year.
Dermody himself was announced as the Highlanders’ head coach in 2023. The team finished ninth last year and sixth this year.
Dermody is confident that the team could further develop in 2025, as they are still mostly young and relatively inexperienced players at the Super Rugby level.
Joseph is delighted to be back coaching the Highlanders and looks forward to working with Clarke and the rest of his coaching team next season.
Highlanders chairperson Peter Kean believes that these changes will take advantage of Jamie and Clarke’s unique skill sets. Jamie has a proven track record as an international coach, and Clarke will also make an enormous contribution as Jamie’s assistant.
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