Former South Africa coach Rob Walter was on Firday appointed as New Zealand’s new head coach across all formats. The 49-year-old Walter who will step into his role later this month ahead of the tour to Zimbabwe, replaces Gary Stead as the new man in charge of the Black Caps unit.
Walter was a frontrunner for the position after resigning from his role with the South African limited-overs sides in April.
“The Black Caps have been a successful and highly-regarded team on the world scene for some time now and it’s a real privilege to be given the chance to add to that,” Walter said in a statement.
“It’s an amazing opportunity to work with such a talented group of players and support staff through a period of time in which so many global events, as well as massive bilateral series, will be contested.”
Walter’s contract includes leading the Kiwis up until the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, with three major ICC tournaments in between, including the 2027 World Cup.
NZ Cricket chief executive Scott Weenink heaped praise on Walter’s coaching credentials. “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 Black Caps.”
Walter previously was at the helm of the Otago Volts in New Zealand’s domestic competitions between 2016 and 2021, before moving to Hawke’s Bay and briefly coaching the Central Stags.
In his time with the Proteas since 2023, Walter led the side to their first T20 World Cup final in 2024 and the semi-finals of the 50-over World Cup and Champions Trophy in 2023 and 2025 respectively.
Earlier this week, Stead’s departure from the role was announced by New Zealand after a successful stint as the side’s most successful coach across formats. While he had hoped to extend his role with the Test side, New Zealand Cricket’s choice to maintain a single coach meant the end to a seven-year tenure during which Stead won the inaugural ICC World Test Championship finals and reached three white-ball finals.
