Baxter returns to Matatū in Super Rugby Aupiki
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- 2 hours ago
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The inaugural coach of Matatū, Blair Baxter is returning to the Super Rugby Aupiki side for the 2026 season.
He replaces Whitney Hansen who has moved on to become Black Ferns Head Coach.
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The South Island team, which is based in Christchurch, won the competition under Baxter in 2023.
A former Farah Palmer Cup winning coach with Canterbury, Baxter served as assistant coach of the China womenâs sevens team in 2023, before returning to New Zealand and assisting MatatÅ« last year.
He also worked the New Zealand under-18 sevens, recently guiding the team to victory at the Youth Global Sevens.
âBlair has been part of our journey from the very beginning. His deep understanding of our kaupapa, his genuine care for our athletes, and his proven ability to lead at the high-performance level make him the right person to guide us forward into 2026. This is an exciting step for our club,â said MatatÅ« general manager of rugby Sarah Munro.
Baxter was involved with defence and team culture last year, ensuring his promotion represented continuity and evolution.
MatatÅ«âs wider coaching squad is in the process of being finalised and will be announced in the coming weeks.
The competition will be held in June - August 2026.