Renegades to be run ‘independently’ as Cricket Victoria reveal Stars coaching changes on the horizon
Melbourne Renegades will have a new men’s coach this coming summer with Cameron White set to switch to the Melbourne Stars, Cricket Victoria CEO Nick Cummins has confirmed.
White had been the Renegades head coach for the past two seasons, with his move to the Stars coaching staff part of a CV restructure ahead of their intended 100 per cent sale of the Renegades licence to a private investor.
Peter Moores, who has led the Stars to consecutive finals appearances in the past two seasons, has also indicated he wants to stay at the club to see out the final year of his contract.
While Cummins told SEN radio this week the “structure of the arrangement” was still being finalised, it’s understood White will come onboard as head coach, with Moores to be a senior assistant if he remains at the Stars.
White is currently in the United States to begin his first season as San Francisco Unicorns head coach, with Cummins to join him next week to oversee CV’s high performance partnership with the franchise.
CV have paused plans to rebrand the Stars franchise into a ‘Melbourne’ team ahead of the upcoming summer, with both the Stars and Renegades to take the field in green and red colours respectively in Weber WBBL|12 and KFC BBL|16.
However, the Renegades will now be run independently away from CV’s Junction Oval headquarters until a sale is finalised, but still funded by CV.
Former Stars general manager Max Abbott will be in charge of the Renegades, with former Australian quick Clint McKay also swapping to the ‘Gades to lead their high performance program and list management.
Former Renegades GM James Rosengarten has also switched clubs and will now run the Stars franchise, which will be the only Big Bash entity operated by CV going forward.
“An independent management for the Renegades is really important for the integrity of the competition,” Cummins said.
“The Renegades are trying to win it, rather than being (CV’s) second team.
“If you are a Renegades fan, Georgia Wareham is going to be playing in the red, Ollie Peake is going to be playing, so your players, your team, are still going to be there.”
Abbott and McKay’s first task running the Renegades will be to appoint head coaches for both their men’s and women’s teams this season after title-winning WBBL mentor Simon Helmot also left the club last month. Helmot has since taken up the head coach position at Gulf Giants in the United Arab Emirates’ T20 competition.
Both appointments are expected in the coming weeks, with former Victoria and Stars coach Greg Shipperd linked with the Renegades men’s role.
The legendary domestic mentor won the One-Day Cup with NSW in March, less than two months after being informed his services as state and Sydney Sixers BBL coach wouldn’t be required beyond the end of last season.
Shipperd previously won the state-based Big Bash four times with Victoria, along with four Sheffield Shield titles during his 12-year tenure. He also led the Stars to finals appearances in the BBL’s first four seasons and won the competition twice with the Sixers in BBL|09 and |10.
Cummins said CV had “run out of time” to make the changes they wanted to the Stars brand for the upcoming summer, with Cricket Australia needing to meet four key requirements before the remaining five state boards agree to proceed with a self-determination model for private investment in the Big Bash.
A structure of governance for the Big Bash leagues under the new model, changes to CA governance, agreement with the players’ union – the Australian Cricketers’ Association – on privatisation, and future funding and distribution agreements between CA and each of the states are the four hurdles still to be cleared.
Once those key issues are resolved, the next stage under the self-determination model would involve testing the market and securing valuations. It is then expected that CV would be the first state to go to market with the Renegades licence.
CA’s original stated timeline has been the 2027-28 season for changes to the Big Bash Leagues take effect, a scenario that remains in play following Monday’s meeting between the six State chairs.
Cummins acknowledged CV would also need approval from CA to change the Stars brand. “We’ve reached that point now where we had to make a decision as to which brand we would be going forward with (this season),” he added.
“We will go forward as the Melbourne Stars and we’ll continue to look at what that might look like beyond this year.
“At some point between now and next June, we hope that there will be a change of ownership (for the Renegades).”
