Tasman Mako will have a new head coach for the 2026 season after Gray Cornelius was told he won't lead the team for a fifth season.
Gray had two seasons as co-head coach with Dan Perrin in 2022 and 2023 before being appointed sole head coach in 2024 for two seasons.
The highlight of his tenure was when the Mako lifted the Ranfurly Shield in 2024 for the first time in the team’s history, beating Hawke’s Bay by a single point.
Despite the shield success, Tasman didn’t produce a stand-out season in the National Provincial Championship under his leadership, losing at the quarter final stage in 2024 and 2025.
Tasman are now recruiting for a Director of Rugby and Head Coach for the team for the next two seasons.
The change comes weeks after it emerged that Tasman Rugby Union CEO Steve Mitchell was suspended from his job while the union's board works through the findings of an independent review into the organisation’s operations.
That review was commissioned late last year and carried out by former Auckland Rugby board member Stuart Mather.
A statement to Top South Now by the Tasman Rugby Union board says:
"The Board of Tasman Rugby Union has been working through a process of organisational change following the recommendations of the Independent Organisational Review completed late last year.
"This period has brought some uncertainty for staff, and the Board would like to acknowledge the professionalism and commitment of the TRU team who have continued to ensure that rugby operations across the region have continued as normal.
"For most staff there has been no substantive change.
"However, the organisation has implemented several structural adjustments aimed at strengthening the future of rugby across both Nelson and Marlborough. These changes are designed to better support community rugby while also giving our men’s and women’s high-performance teams the strongest opportunity to compete successfully at a national level.
"As part of this new structure, three leadership roles have been created: Director of Business, Director of Community Rugby, and Director of Rugby.
"The Board is pleased to confirm that Chris Little has been appointed Director of Community Rugby, and Julie Bensemann has been appointed Director of Business. Both bring significant experience and leadership to these roles, and we look forward to the positive impact they will continue to have on the organisation and the wider rugby community.
"The position of Director of Rugby/Head Coach of the Tasman Mako remains unfilled.
"The Board has now taken the role to market as it continues the process of identifying the appropriate appointment within the new organisational structure outlined above."
TRU Board Chair Wayne Young says the board would like to thank Gray for his seven years of service to Tasman Rugby Union
"And for his contribution to the Tasman Mako programme and the wider rugby community. His dedication and commitment to Tasman Rugby are without question and genuinely appreciated.
“We appreciate the continued support of our stakeholders, clubs, and community as we complete this process. These changes are focused on ensuring that Tasman Rugby Union – including our community game and our flagship team, the Tasman Mako – is well positioned for success over the next 20 years.”
