Former South African white-ball coach Rob Walter has been named the new head coach of the New Zealand men’s team in all formats. The 49-year-old has signed a three-year contract and will formally take over in mid-June, succeeding Gary Stead, who has been head coach since 2018. Walter’s first assignment will be New Zealand’s trip of Zimbabwe in July.
Notably, Stead had a successful time with the Black Caps, leading them to their first World Test Championship triumph in 2021. However, Stead stood down from the white-ball jobs earlier this year, and different Zealand Cricket (NZC) chose a different coaching strategy, allowing a new face to take over the responsibilities.
Meanwhile, Rob Walter, who has extensive experience in both domestic and international cricket, was the leading candidate.
Despite coaching South Africa’s white-ball teams for the previous two years, bringing them to the 2023 ODI World Cup semi-finals, the 2024 T20 World Cup final, and the 2025 Champions Trophy semi-finals, Walter has stayed in New Zealand, specifically Hawke’s Bay, where his family lives. His involvement in New Zealand domestic cricket, which included successful stints at the Otago Volts and Central Stags, bolstered his case for selection.
“The Blackcaps have been a successful and well-regarded team on the global stage for some time now, and it’s an honour to be given the opportunity to add to that. It’s an incredible opportunity to collaborate with such a talented group of players and support staff during a time when so many global events and huge bilateral series will be played. I really cannot wait to get started. It’s exciting, it’s tough, and the opportunity is huge for everyone.”
At the domestic level in New Zealand, he guided Central Stags to the Ford Trophy and Plunket Shield titles in 2022-23 and took Otago to the Super Smash playoffs in 2019-20. Later on the international stage, he helped South Africa become one of the consistent teams in recent ICC tournaments. He has also coached New Zealand A and held assistant roles in the IPL with Pune Warriors and Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals).
NZC chief executive Scott Weenink opened up about the appointment.
“Rob is a world-class coach with an outstanding pedigree. His success in New Zealand’s domestic game, combined with his recent achievements on the global stage with South Africa, makes him the ideal candidate to lead the Blackcaps. We’re excited to welcome Rob back home to guide our team through an exciting and challenging period, including three major ICC events,” said Weenink.
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