Jamie Joseph re-commits to Highlanders for two years

Jamie Joseph re-commits to Highlanders for two years

New Zealand Rugby and the Highlanders are excited to announce that Jamie Joseph has re-signed for an additional two years as Head Coach of the Highlanders.

The former All Black and Otago representative came on as Head Coach for the Highlanders in 2010 following coaching success with the Maori All Blacks and the Wellington Lions.

New Zealand Rugby General Manager Rugby Neil Sorensen said: “We’re delighted to have Jamie staying with the Highlanders and New Zealand Rugby for another two years. Jamie is a hugely popular figure in the Highlanders region and we know he loves giving back to that community.

“Jamie can be proud of the work he has already achieved with the Highlanders, and we are excited to see what he will bring to Investec Super Rugby in 2015 and 2016,” he said.

Highlanders General Manager Roger Clark commented that “over the last four years Jamie Joseph has developed into a very good coach, and the Highlanders are excited by the progress the coaching team has made in 2014 led by Jamie. We are very enthusiastic about where this coaching team can take the Highlanders in the future.

“When Jamie first started with the Highlanders in 2011 the goal was to develop the Highlanders as an organisation and a team that the fans and stakeholders respected and supported; there is no doubt that Jamie has had a large influence on the Highlanders achieving this goal and his commitment for another two years will assist the Highlanders to continue this momentum.”

Joseph said: “We’ve got an exciting young group of guys playing for us this year and I’m looking forward to working with them in the future as head coach to see what we can achieve as a team. I’ve got a great coaching team around me and we’ve worked hard this year to create the right environment and keen to keep this going into the next few seasons.

“I understand the responsibility that goes with being a head coach and I am looking forward to that challenge in the next two years. I also understand what rugby means to the people and communities in the south and I feel privileged to be the coach of a team that is showing some real promise and future – being a part of that is exciting.”

Clark added that the Highlanders would be “keen to keep the full coaching staff together for the next couple of seasons” as they worked well as a unit.

The Highlanders currently sit in fifth on the table and having already had their two byes are looking to finish off the season with a strong run home that includes a game against the Chiefs at home on the 27th June and away games against the Waratahs and Crusaders on the 6 and 12th of July respectively.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Joseph was Head Coach of the Wellington Lions from 2007 and he took the team to Final berths in 2008 and 2009 and won the Ranfurly Shield from Auckland in 2008 holding it for five defences. In 2010 coached the Maori team in its centenary year with assistant coach Daryl Gibson leading the team to a clean sweep over the New Zealand Barbarians, Ireland and England in the Sealord New Zealand Maori Centenary Series.

Jamie Joseph’s strong affiliation with the south includes a provincial rugby career for Otago after heading to Otago University in 1989. He played 68 games for the province as a lock and then a loose forward until 1995.

His All Blacks career spanned 30 matches including 20 Tests from 1992 to 1995 including the 1995 Rugby World Cup. He also played 10 matches for New Zealand Maori from 1991 to 1994 and later as assistant coach, helped the team to a Churchill Cup victory in 2006, with wins over New South Wales, the USA, Ireland A and Scotland A. He also has the distinction of playing international rugby for Japan, appearing for the Cherry Blossoms in the 1999 Rugby World Cup.