Melbourne Renegades appoint Luke Ronchi as coach, Cameron White joins Stars

Former New Zealand wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi has been appointed head coach of Big Bash League outfit Melbourne Renegades ahead of the upcoming 2026-27 season. He replaces former Australian all-rounder Cameron White, who has moved across town to take charge of rivals Melbourne Stars. 

The two Melbourne sides have had an eventful offseason after the conclusion of the most recent season. Following a torrid few months, Stars are now the only side under the control of Cricket Victoria (CV). This comes after Cricket Australia’s (CA) failed attempt to bring private investment into the league. The Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA), however, did not agree with the model, resulting in a stalemate. CV had plans to rebrand the Stars and play them under a new name with Victorian colours, and to sell Renegades entirely to a private organisation.

This kerfuffle of incidents has left Renegades with just two employees, Max Abbott and Clint McKay and without an administration. Along with Ronchi, they will be tasked to rebuild the franchise, which has just nine BBL-contracted players in the squad captained by Will Sutherland. 

Ronchi, meanwhile, is having a great start to his coaching career. He is currently the batting coach for New Zealand, a role he will keep until the end of the India tour at the start of December. The 45-year-old was also the head coach of Islamabad United during the 2026 Pakistan Super League, where they finished second in the standings. 

“Luke stood out with his clear vision for how he wants our team to play and his ability to build strong relationships. He empowers players to back their skills and take ownership of their performances, which we see as a great trait for this group at the Renegades this season,” high performance manager Clint McKay said, via Cricinfo. 

According to the aforementioned source, the Renegades have already inquired about the possible availability of former England Test captain Ben Stokes. The 35-year-old retired from international cricket but wants to continue playing cricket for his county, Durham, and in franchise competitions worldwide. 

Stokes has played for the Renegades in the past, turning out in the red-and-black jersey during the 2014-15 season. He played four games for the side, scoring 128 runs at a strike-rate of 156.09 whilst also taking three wickets.