Dave Rennie will name a new All Blacks captain in 2026, with Scott Barrett set for five months on the sidelines.
The 32-year-old lock suffered a back injury, which will require surgery, a cruel setback after he opted to take up a non-playing sabbatical and miss the majority of the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season to correct ankle and Achilles problems.
However, the hammer blow occurred upon his return to training following the break, and he will now miss the All Blacks‘ home leg of the Nations Championship as well as the highly anticipated Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour to South Africa. Barrett was the official captain under former head coach Scott Robertson throughout his tenure, with Ardie Savea filling in when he was absent.
With Barrett sidelined for much of the international season, we take a look at who Rennie could turn to in the interim and perhaps until the World Cup at the very least.
Frontrunners: Codie Taylor, Ardie Savea
Rennie first addressed the captaincy in March, stating that he hadn’t made a decision yet on who he would turn to.
“I think you’ve got to work through those things, and I’m keen to have a chat to players,” he said. “Obviously, Scott Barrett, a fantastic player and the current captain, I’d be keen to have a chat with him about going forward.”
Reports in April then stated that the new head coach had two players in mind, Barrett and Savea, with the former sidelined and the latter emerging as a favourite, particularly amongst the fans. Savea is very much the people’s captain, with many clamouring for him to get the armband even before the 2023 World Cup, with Ian Foster preferring Sam Cane.
Having filled the role previously, handing the responsibility to Savea would not only be a hugely popular call but a sensible one too. He not only has vast international experience but is well-respected in the All Blacks squad and would not shy away from the responsibility. It’s also incredibly important that whoever gets the role, has to be an out-and-out starter for the side and whether it’s at openside or at number eight, Savea is bound to be a first-choice in the starting XV.
And the same is true for the other front-runner, Codie Taylor, who has plenty of support, particularly from All Blacks legend Jeff Wilson. Like Savea, he has played 100 times for New Zealand, and while he hasn’t skippered the Test team before, he is a leader in the All Blacks squad, has captained the Crusaders several times, and is likely to be the starting hooker. He will have stiff competition for the number two jersey, but frankly, he is the most complete hooker in New Zealand.
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Next in line: Jordie and Beauden Barrett
Scott’s younger brother, Jordie, or his elder brother, Beauden, are also genuine options for Rennie. Like the aforementioned pair, both Barretts boast massive international experience and have been in the team’s leadership group for several seasons.
In fact, Jordie has repeatedly been listed as the team’s vice captain when Scott or Savea have skippered the side. He is yet to hold the captaincy title in a Test match, but he too is bound to be one of the first names on Rennie’s teamsheet. There is much debate around the make-up of the All Blacks midfield, but that is centred around who joins him in the centres rather than whether he features at all.
A starting role for Beauden is far less straightforward, particularly if Rennie is looking to appoint a captain now that will take the team through to the World Cup. Still a world-class operator, Barrett could well be usurped as the first-choice fly-half by either Damian McKenzie or Richie Mo’unga in the coming months. It’s unlikely that Rennie will oust him completely due to his age, with Quade Cooper previously playing a big role in Rennie’s Wallabies teams despite being in the latter stages of his career.
Jordie would certainly be a longer-term view appointment while Beauden could be a handy stop-gap if that’s needed. Either way, both players could easily step into the role.
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Outside bet: Patrick Tuipulotu
Fitness permitting, Patrick Tuipulotu will almost certainly get the nod for the All Blacks matchday 23, particularly after the injury to Barrett. The Blues’ second rower is a classy operator who repeatedly put in strong performances during Robertson’s era, but injuries have always limited his progression.
Still with 58 Test caps under his belt, he is no stranger to the international game and has vast experience captaining the Blues at Super Rugby level. At 33, he is still very much in contention to be a regular for the All Blacks from now and through to the World Cup, even with stiff competition in the second row from the likes of Fabian Holland, Tupou Vaa’i, Sam Darry, and Josh Lord.
He led the All Blacks against Japan back in 2024 and could well do the job in a one-off Test again but don’t write him off completely in doing it more long term.
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Wild card: Quinn Tupaea
A leader at the Chiefs, Quinn Tupaea, is understood to be held in high regard in the All Blacks squad too. With just 24 Test caps, he is one of the less experienced options at international level but that might not matter too much to Rennie.
There is a question mark about whether he is a first-choice centre for the new All Blacks head coach. Last year, he shone in the role for the side, but there are several quality midfielders making strong claims in Super Rugby Pacific to be Barrett’s centre partner.
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Bolters: Wallace Sititi and Cam Roigard
Rennie has been contracted through to the 2027 Rugby World Cup, but the new head coach could make a captaincy appointment with a long-term view and there are two strong candidates for that in Wallace Sititi and Cam Roigard.
Both have very limited captaincy experience at the professional level with Sititi set to lead the Chiefs for the first time in round 16 of Super Rugby against the Blues. It will be intriguing to see how Rennie solves the All Blacks’ back-rower puzzle and how Savea fits in but Sititi is the prime candidate for both the number eight and six jumpers.
As for Roigard, he is quite easily the best number nine in New Zealand and looks set to dominate the jumper in a similar manner to Aaron Smith.
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