Rugby Southland has announced new coaching appointments for the SBS Bank Southland Stags ahead of the 2026 Bunnings NPC season. Marty McKenzie and Richard Jones will take up full-time roles as in-season Assistant Coaches, joining Head Coach Scott Eade.
McKenzie, who has worked in a limited capacity with the Stags coaching group over the past two years, will now take charge of the team's attacking strategy and other key duties. His playing experience at high levels of the game brings valuable insight, and Rugby Southland Chief Executive Hua Tamariki believes he has the skills to clearly pass on that knowledge.
“Marty has played rugby at a very high level and sees the game in a way that many of us do not. What we’ve seen with Marty over the last two years, as well as his time coaching in the community with our high-talent athletes, is that he possesses the ability to teach what he sees in a manner that is clearly understood by our players,” said Tamariki.
Joining him is long-time Woodlands Premier Head Coach Richard Jones. Jones, who has already spent the first six weeks of this year’s campaign working full-time with the Stags, will now lead team and individual skills development.
“Jonesy’s been through our coaching pathway, and we’re excited to provide him with the next step in his coaching journey. Coming from a teaching background and currently in the role of Assistant Principal, he brings to the group a holistic lens and a highly honed communication skill set,” Tamariki said.
Also returning to the team is David Hall, who steps into the role of Technical Advisor – Scrums. Hall previously co-coached and assisted the Stags and has been leading the community rugby team at Rugby Southland for the past 18 months. His new role comes as Daryl Thomson steps down after years of service as the NPC scrum expert.
“From the beginning of 2026, we’re wanting to lift our delivery and coach development offerings to our community, and with Daryl Thomson calling time on his lengthy service as our scrum expert during the NPC season, we saw an opportunity to bring David across into the coaching development space full-time — where he can better balance that coach development work alongside offering his experience and technical expertise by taking on the scrum responsibilities for the Stags,” Tamariki said.
One coaching position remains unfilled, with Rugby Southland currently seeking a Forwards Assistant Coach to round out the team.