Rob Walter Appointed New Zealand's Head Coach

New Zealand Cricket has officially named Rob Walter as the new head coach of the men’s national team, taking over from Gary Stead. 

Walter is set to assume his role in mid-June, ahead of the team’s tour of Zimbabwe in July. His contract extends through to the conclusion of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, jointly hosted by New Zealand and Australia in 2028.

Walter joins the Black Caps after a successful tenure with South Africa’s white-ball sides, stepping down in April after leading the Proteas to historic heights. Under his guidance, South Africa reached their first-ever ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final in 2024, ultimately finishing as runners-up to India in Barbados after winning eight consecutive matches. He also coached the team to the semi-finals of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in 2023.

"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," said Walter following his appointment. “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. I just can't wait to get started. It's exciting, it's challenging, and the opportunity is enormous for everyone.”

His appointment comes shortly after New Zealand Cricket confirmed that Gary Stead, who had led the team for seven years, would not be retained under a newly unified coaching structure across all formats.