Clark Laidlaw
Clark Laidlaw is a Scottish professional rugby union coach and former player. He is currently the head coach of the New Zealand team, the Hurricanes, in the Super Rugby. Laidlaw was formerly the New Zealand national [rugby sevens team|New Zealand Sevens] head coach before stepping down in 2023.
Biography
Laidlaw is the son of former British & Irish Lions and Scotland international rugby union player Roy Laidlaw. His cousin, Greig Laidlaw, also represented the British & Irish Lions and Scotland. He represented Scotland internationally in sevens and moved to New Zealand in 2008.Coaching Career
Laidlaw became the Skills Coach for Taranaki [Rugby Football Union|Taranaki] in 2010 then became the Skills Coach and Video Analyst with the sevens team|New Zealand sevens team] under Sir Gordon Tietjens from 2010 to 2012. He made the move back to the 15-aside game, as the Assistant Coach of the Hurricanes from 2013 to 2015. He was also Assistant Coach of the London Irish.
In 2018, a year after becoming Head Coach of the All Blacks Sevens, New Zealand won gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and the 2018 [Rugby World Cup Sevens].
In 2020, Laidlaw guided the All Blacks Sevens to win the World [Rugby Sevens Series] and in 2021, a silver medal at the 2020 [Summer Olympics|Tokyo Olympics].
In 2023 it was announced that Laidlaw would be stepping down as the All Blacks Sevens head coach and joining the Hurricanes as head coach from 2024.