Rugby: Barnes back for another season

Taranaki Rugby

Yarrows Taranaki Bulls Head Coach Neil Barnes has re-signed with Taranaki Rugby for the 2026 NPC season.

Barnes has been Head Coach since 2021, and in that time has taken the side to an unbeaten 2021 NPC season, its second ever NPC championship in 2023 and a memorable Ranfurly Shield tenure between 2024-2025.

“Barnesy is a Taranaki rugby legend, both for what he’s done on the field and in the local rugby community,” says Taranaki Rugby Football Union CEO Jimmy Fastier.

“He is a huge asset at all levels of our rugby programme; he has built a winning culture within the playing group and is incredibly invested in all levels of our local game - always eager to develop players from high school and club level and help them achieve bigger and better things.”

His support staff have also benefited hugely from his guidance and experience, with Assistant Coaches Jarrad Hoeata and Brad Cooper, Team Manager Aaron Moore and Strength & Conditioning Coach Sam Ritchie all progressing to roles with the Chiefs and Hurricanes respectively in recent years.

"I’m very proud of what we’ve achieved, as a group at Taranaki Rugby, right across our province in the last five years”, Barnes says.

"As for the Yarrows Taranaki Bulls, developing an innovative, but successful brand of rugby to play, has been exciting and rewarding for all to be involved in. What doesn’t sit well with any of us though, is we have bowed out of the competition at the quarter final stage two years in a row now, and that needs to change.”

“That challenge still excites me, I’m still motivated to achieve more here, whether it's winning titles, or helping players grow to the next level. That day those motivation levels drop, or the players grow tired of me, and need a change, I’ll happily return to the farm and play more golf."

Head Strength & Conditioning Coach Jono Hayes and newly appointed Academy Manager Teihorangi Walden will be working closely with Barnes in the High Performance space.

With Hoeata and Cooper on Super Rugby Pacific duty for the first half of the year, Barnes will be leaning on a couple of experienced local coaches, Leo Crowley, and former Māori All Black and Japan international Bryce Robins, to support wider training group sessions.

Taranaki Rugby Coach Development Lead Mike Kainga will continue as Scrum Coach over and above his day-to-day role of upskilling grassroots rugby coaches.