Borderer Clark Laidlaw agrees new deal with New Zealand rugby club Hurricanes
Jedburgh’s Clark Laidlaw is to carry on as head coach of New Zealand’s Hurricanes for a fourth rugby season.
The 48-year-old, in charge of the Wellington club since 2024, has now agreed a new deal keeping him in that role to the end of next year’s Super Rugby Pacific season.
During that time, he’s led the Hurricanes to a semi-final and qualifying final and they’re currently top of the Super Rugby Pacific table, on 24 points from six rounds, following a 52-14 win at home to Brisbane’s Queensland Reds on Saturday.
“It’s a huge honour and privilege to continue serving the club,” said the Borderer, based in New Zealand since 2008 and a citizen there since last year.
“I really feel like I’m at home here. I love being involved with the team.
“We play a brand of rugby that really fits with my thinking on the game.
“We’re building a squad and a club with new owners and new leadership, and I feel I really align with how they see it, so that was a big part of my decision to stay.
“The identity of the team and the way we want to play the game is something I really align with as well.
“Some days, you feel like you’re only getting started. I’m a couple years in, but I still think there’s loads to develop, loads for me to be better at, loads for the team to grow into, and this is the place I want to do that at.
“Between the new leadership and the style of game we want to play and the players, coaches and management we’ve got, it was a pretty easy decision.”
Prior to taking over from Jason Holland as head coach at Hurricanes, the former Scottish rugby sevens international was an assistant coach at the club from 2013 to 2015.
He’s also coached at London Irish and was in charge of New Zealand’s sevens programme from 2017 to 2023, winning 2018’s sevens world cup and Commonwealth Games in Australia, 2020’s World Sevens Series and a silver medal at 2021’s Olympics in Japan.
Interim Hurricanes chief executive Tony Philp is delighted to see Laidlaw staying on, saying: “We’re excited that Clark has signed on with the Hurricanes until 2027.
“He embodies our values and has a unique ability to get the best out of people. Clark cares first, which fosters an environment of deep connection that then enables performances to be proud of.
“Having him on board for another year will ensure our culture deepens, which we are thrilled about.
“He’s a Hurricane through and through and we couldn’t be prouder that he’s staying next season to continue to embed what it means to be a Hurricane.”