July 11, 2025 • 5 mins
Former Kiwis player and coach David Kidwell is relishing his new career in rugby union.
He will join Jamie Joseph's staff at the Highlanders next season.
The 48-year-old's returning from another stint working with former Argentina coach Michael Cheika at the Leicester Tigers.
He joined Nick Bewley for a chat about his appointment and how it came about.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Yeah. I worked with Jamie back in twenty nineteen. Actually
it's when I first sort of had a first taste
of getting into rugby union and he was working with
Japan and I went over there and helped out a
little bit with the Japan national team. I recently just
come back from England with the Lester Tigers where we
(00:24):
made the Grand Final, unfortunately we lost, and then I
was thinking where's my next move in my coaching career,
and Jamie reached out and I really liked and got
excited about what he was wanting to do down on
the Highlanders, a young team, and I thought why not.
(00:45):
I've coached in the Northern Hemisphere and rugby, and why
not go back home and coaching super rugby.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Obviously people here will mostly know you for your rugby
league playing and coaching career, but this is as you say, Japan,
Argentine lest the Tigers and now this move to the
Highland is how much are you enjoying your time in
the fifteen man game?
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Yeah? Look, I've been twenty seven years in the NRL,
both playing and coaching, and my first taste obviously with Argentina,
you know, full coaching with Michael checker. It just sparked
my coaching. You know, obviously learning a new game, new
to the game, but you know, players in both codes
(01:29):
are you know, the athletes, and you have to treat
them like athletes. And yes it's a different, different game,
but they still need a bit of a coaching mentally, physically,
and I've really enjoyed that part in the Rugby Union
space and just another opportunity to go back home. It's
(01:51):
been thirty years when I left as an eighteen year
old to presume my NRL dream and to go back
to New Zealand. I know my sister's back home. She's
pretty excited to have me back home. So yeah, it
was just it's just the right fit.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Defensively, David, is it fair to say that structurally and
strategically we're starting to see a bit more of what
we've become accustomed to in rugby league into rugby Union
terms of space, defending, rush defense, things like that.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Yeah, what I had to learn was the breakdown that
obviously they haven't got the hidden league, so learning about
the breakdown, you know, how many people we want in there.
For me, defense is all about connection, working together, making
good tackles as simple as that. For me, I've really
sort of brought that into the teams that I've been
(02:42):
coaching into the rugby union space and you see the
different styles of defense. But yeah, really those really key
ingredients is the connection physicality and you know, working as one.
That's really where I've taken the defensive systems that I've
brought into the teams that I've coached in union and
(03:03):
try to make that really at the front of the
mind and then enjoying it. Yeah, it's not many people
love to tackle these days, you know, making sure that
we're enjoying what we're doing and doing it well.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
Have you been able to keep a pretty close eye
on Super Rugby in your time up in the UK
and what do you maker the lay of the land.
As you sort of alluded to there at the beginning,
there's certainly a lot of talent and potential that Jamie
Joseph has it at his disposal. Certainly seems like something's
potentially brewing down there. They were close even though they
(03:37):
didn't make the finals, that they weren't far away.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
Yeah, they lost a few games, you know with a
you know we're five to seven points and we know
those momentums, you know you win, you know four out
of those five games, you know you're right up there.
So I haven't had a really good chat with Jamie
about the review and stuff like that. He's sort of
given me a bit of a breathe obviously, you know,
(04:01):
coming back from the Northern Hemisphere. Amazingly everyone still watches
the supermarket rugby up in the Northern Hemisphere. They've gone
on in the mornings. We're rolling to it into training,
everyone's watching it. I watched the final Crusaders and the Chiefs.
You know how close that was. And you look at
the Crusaders, you know they built that went on defense.
I thought, you know something that hopefully, you know, I
(04:25):
can bring to the hot Highlanders and yeah, get up
that ladder and get into those finals.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Good man, David, And just to finish, you touched on
it there too. But thirty years away from dat, a man,
that's a long long time. How are you looking forward
to the comforts of home on a more regular basis.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
Open fire, mate, nice glass of wine, you know, those
those frosty mornings. No, I'm really looking forward to going home.
As I said before, you know, my sister's back home
and I know she's in christ but you know, just
to be back, you know, connect with the mother let again.
Really looking forward to it.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
Well, looking forward to having you up here in christ
Church at some stage to always enjoy those Southern Derbies,
Crusaders Highland As David Kevill, congratulations on your next coaching
venture and we look forward to seeing you around the
place in twenty twenty six.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
Yeah, thanks ate anytime.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
Mate. For more from News Talks B listen live on
air or online, and keep
Speaker 1 (05:26):
Our shows with you wherever you go with our podcast
on iHeartRadio.
Yeah. I worked with Jamie back in twenty nineteen. Actually
it's when I first sort of had a first taste
of getting into rugby union and he was working with
Japan and I went over there and helped out a
little bit with the Japan national team. I recently just
come back from England with the Lester Tigers where we
(00:24):
made the Grand Final, unfortunately we lost, and then I
was thinking where's my next move in my coaching career,
and Jamie reached out and I really liked and got
excited about what he was wanting to do down on
the Highlanders, a young team, and I thought why not.
(00:45):
I've coached in the Northern Hemisphere and rugby, and why
not go back home and coaching super rugby.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Obviously people here will mostly know you for your rugby
league playing and coaching career, but this is as you say, Japan,
Argentine lest the Tigers and now this move to the
Highland is how much are you enjoying your time in
the fifteen man game?
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Yeah? Look, I've been twenty seven years in the NRL,
both playing and coaching, and my first taste obviously with Argentina,
you know, full coaching with Michael checker. It just sparked
my coaching. You know, obviously learning a new game, new
to the game, but you know, players in both codes
(01:29):
are you know, the athletes, and you have to treat
them like athletes. And yes it's a different, different game,
but they still need a bit of a coaching mentally, physically,
and I've really enjoyed that part in the Rugby Union
space and just another opportunity to go back home. It's
(01:51):
been thirty years when I left as an eighteen year
old to presume my NRL dream and to go back
to New Zealand. I know my sister's back home. She's
pretty excited to have me back home. So yeah, it
was just it's just the right fit.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Defensively, David, is it fair to say that structurally and
strategically we're starting to see a bit more of what
we've become accustomed to in rugby league into rugby Union
terms of space, defending, rush defense, things like that.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Yeah, what I had to learn was the breakdown that
obviously they haven't got the hidden league, so learning about
the breakdown, you know, how many people we want in there.
For me, defense is all about connection, working together, making
good tackles as simple as that. For me, I've really
sort of brought that into the teams that I've been
(02:42):
coaching into the rugby union space and you see the
different styles of defense. But yeah, really those really key
ingredients is the connection physicality and you know, working as one.
That's really where I've taken the defensive systems that I've
brought into the teams that I've coached in union and
(03:03):
try to make that really at the front of the
mind and then enjoying it. Yeah, it's not many people
love to tackle these days, you know, making sure that
we're enjoying what we're doing and doing it well.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
Have you been able to keep a pretty close eye
on Super Rugby in your time up in the UK
and what do you maker the lay of the land.
As you sort of alluded to there at the beginning,
there's certainly a lot of talent and potential that Jamie
Joseph has it at his disposal. Certainly seems like something's
potentially brewing down there. They were close even though they
(03:37):
didn't make the finals, that they weren't far away.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
Yeah, they lost a few games, you know with a
you know we're five to seven points and we know
those momentums, you know you win, you know four out
of those five games, you know you're right up there.
So I haven't had a really good chat with Jamie
about the review and stuff like that. He's sort of
given me a bit of a breathe obviously, you know,
(04:01):
coming back from the Northern Hemisphere. Amazingly everyone still watches
the supermarket rugby up in the Northern Hemisphere. They've gone
on in the mornings. We're rolling to it into training,
everyone's watching it. I watched the final Crusaders and the Chiefs.
You know how close that was. And you look at
the Crusaders, you know they built that went on defense.
I thought, you know something that hopefully, you know, I
(04:25):
can bring to the hot Highlanders and yeah, get up
that ladder and get into those finals.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Good man, David, And just to finish, you touched on
it there too. But thirty years away from dat, a man,
that's a long long time. How are you looking forward
to the comforts of home on a more regular basis.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
Open fire, mate, nice glass of wine, you know, those
those frosty mornings. No, I'm really looking forward to going home.
As I said before, you know, my sister's back home
and I know she's in christ but you know, just
to be back, you know, connect with the mother let again.
Really looking forward to it.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
Well, looking forward to having you up here in christ
Church at some stage to always enjoy those Southern Derbies,
Crusaders Highland As David Kevill, congratulations on your next coaching
venture and we look forward to seeing you around the
place in twenty twenty six.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
Yeah, thanks ate anytime.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
Mate. For more from News Talks B listen live on
air or online, and keep
Speaker 1 (05:26):
Our shows with you wherever you go with our podcast
on iHeartRadio.
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