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| Born | (1958-07-21)21 July 1958 (age 67) Wellington, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Occupation(s) | Performance Consultant, Rugby Union Coach | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Chris Boyd (born 21 July 1958) is a New Zealandrugby union coach, currently working as a Performance Consultant forMunster.[1] He has previously coached atWellington, theNew Zealand under-20 National Team,English Premiership teamNorthampton Saints, andSuper Rugby franchise theHurricanes.
Boyd's first coaching role was as coach of Tawa Rugby Club, where he spent nine years from 1989 to 1998. In that year he took over as Wellington's second XV coach, becoming assistant coach to the provincial side, the Wellington Lions, in 2003. From 2006 to 2008 he was assistant coach at theSharksSuper Rugby franchise. He then worked at the International Rugby Academy of New Zealand as a coaching services advisor, and was defensive coach for theTongan team at the2011 Rugby World Cup, with Tonga famously defeating eventual finalistsFrance 14–19 in the pool stages.[2]
Boyd was appointed asWellington Lions coach in 2011,[3] and took over as head coach of the national under-20 team in 2012, a position he vacated until 2014.[4] During his tenure as Wellington head coach, he steered his team to the 2013ITM Cup final, losing out 29–13 toCanterbury, with the victors in turn securing their sixth ITM Cup in a row.[5]
In the 2015 season Boyd became the head coach of theHurricanes Super Rugby franchise along withJohn Plumtree as assistant coach. On 4 July 2015, Boyd guided his Hurricanes side all the way to the Super Rugby final, losing out 21–14[6] to eventual winners and fellow New Zealand franchise,Highlanders. The following season he would go one step further and win the2016 Super Rugby final, defeating theLions 20–3 on 6 August 2016.[7] Upon leaving the Hurricanes, Boyd had become the most successful coach in the franchise's history to date, winning the Super Rugby New Zealand Conference twice, whilst also winning the competition in its entirety in 2016, having finished runner-up the year before.[8]
On 29 January 2018, it was announced that Boyd would become Director of Rugby atNorthampton Saints as of August 2018.[9] Boyd's inaugural season at the club resulted in his first piece of silverware on 17 March 2019, by defeating Saracens 23–9 in the Premiership Rugby Cup final, in front of a full-houseFranklin's Gardens Stadium.[10] On 18 May 2019, it was confirmed that Boyd's Northampton Saints finished in the all-important 4th place, and would go on to face theExeter Chiefs in thePremiership Rugby play-off system. However, they were defeated 42–12 by the Exeter Chiefs atSandy Park.[11] He left Northampton following the conclusion of the2021–22 season.[12]
On 3 December 2024, he was appointed as a Performance Consultant supporting interim head coach Ian Costello atMunster.[13]
Boyd is renowned for his sides playing an attacking brand of rugby, proven statistically by his Hurricanes scoring 97 tries across the 2017 Super Rugby season.[14] Throughout the course of the2018–19 Premiership Rugby season, hisNorthampton Saints side steadily progressed, most notably with improvements in the offloading and player support game. It is also recorded that he has remarkable communication with his players.[15]
Wellington
Hurricanes
Northampton Saints