Who is Munster's new head coach Clayton McMillan?

The current boss of Super Rugby heavyweights the Chiefs arrives with great pedigree in the club game having led his Chiefs side to three Super Rugby finals in the last four seasons. 

Incoming Munster boss Clayton McMillan, coach of the Chiefs looks on from the sidelines during a Chiefs Super Rugby training session. Pic: Michael Bradley/Getty Images

Munster have found their man. 

With the search for a new coach having lingered well into 2025, the province has finally pounced for their new head coach with the news arriving late on Wednesday evening that Clayton McMillan will be joining Munster in the summer on a three-year-deal.

The current boss of Super Rugby heavyweights the Chiefs arrives with great pedigree in the club game having led the New Zealand side to three finals in the last four seasons. 

In their two games so far this season, the Chiefs have taken handsome victories over current champions, the Blues, and Super Rugby darlings, the Crusaders.

His arrival in Limerick this summer won't be his first visit to the province, however, having taken charge of the All Blacks XV that conquered Munster in Thomond Park back in November, shortly after the departure of predecessor Graham Rowntree. 

That's not all he has done on the All Blacks scene, however, as McMillan — described by NZ rugby writer Gregor Paul as 'Mr Low Profile' — has been the go-to guy for the Kiwis in terms of coaching responsibility for the "second-string" sides, acting as head coach to the Maori side since 2017.

That responsibility would have likely put McMillan in line to be the next All Blacks coach should things have gone awry for current boss Scott 'Razor' Robertson. 

Writing in the Irish Times, the aforementioned Paul describes the character Munster can expect to walk through the doors of the HPC in a few months: "He’s said to be tough and uncompromising with the players. A stern, authoritative figure who doesn’t go in for smiling much but is someone who has a softer, empathetic side that may not come out much in public but does in private."

What does his arrival mean for the current coaches? 

Prior to McMillan's arrival, interim head coach Ian Costello will continue in that role before moving to the position of general manager in the summer.

Defence coach Denis Leamy and current attack coach Mike Prendergast signed two-year contract extensions shortly after Rowntree's departure, followed a month later by a new deal for skills and assistant attack coach Mossy Lawler. 

Prendergast — a fellow applicant for the vacancy — will step up to the role of senior coach under a new team management structure, once McMillan arrives in town.

Munster said this new structure will give Prendergast “a more central role in team preparation, strategy, selection and recruitment”.

Clayton McMillan's CV

Born: Perth, Australia 

Raised: Rotorua, New Zealand 

Played: Bay of Plenty captain at No.8, 22 tries in 113 appearances. Finished career in Japan in 2007.

Coaching Career:

Bay of Plenty: Began coaching at age-grade and club level, then head coach and director of rugby in 2015. Won 2019 Mitre 10 Cup interprovincial title.

New Zealand Provincial Barbarians: Head coach versus 2017 British & Irish Lions 

Māori All Blacks: Head coach since 2017, including drawn two-game series with Ireland XV in NZ, 2022 summer tour.

Chiefs: Assistant coach 2020-2021, interim head coach 2021, permanent head coach 2021-present – three Super Rugby finals in last four seasons.

All Blacks XV: Assistant head coach, beat Ireland A 47-19, Dublin RDS, November 2022; head coach, beat Munster 38-24, Thomond Park, November 2024