Reuben Thorne and Mark Brown are no longer part of the coaching contingent for Canterbury's National Provincial Championship side.
On Thursday, Canterbury Rugby announced its decision to dispense with the co-coaching model Thorne and Brown had occupied for the past two seasons and are now on the hunt for a new head coach for 2022 and beyond.
Both men indicated they would not be applying for the new vacant head coach's role.
The provincial powerhouses struggled to reach their traditionally high standards over the past two seasons. Last year, they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2003, before losing to Waikato in the 2021 semi-finals.
Their relatively underwhelming performance prompted an extensive review, resulting in the decision to revert to the single coach approach they last had under Joe Maddock in 2019.
"On reflection, we felt having a single head coach, with the responsibility of leading all aspects of the men's NPC program, is the best fit for Canterbury Rugby," says chief executive Tony Smail.
"Both of them are special men who have played a significant role in this organisation over a number of years and helped in the development of a lot of young men in Canterbury, and for that we thank them.
"They've had some extremely challenging times to cope with in terms of COVID-19, lockdowns, competition and roster changes and they’ve been professional and adaptable at every point and led our team’s response."
Thorne - a Canterbury rugby great as a player - and Brown both run non-rugby related businesses.
"Canterbury Rugby has been a big part of my life for a long time, and I would like to wish the team and new coaching group all the best going forward," said Thorne.
Applications for the role will open over the next few weeks, with interviews to follow in the new year.
"We're looking to cast the net as wide as possible and see who's out there," Smail adds.
"We have a history of success and in order to remain that way we want to ensure we have the best person leading our top men's side. We owe it to our fans, players and sponsors."
