Melbourne Renegades name Gavan Twining as WBBL head coach

Melbourne Renegades have appointed Gavan Twining as their Women's Big Bash League head coach for the 2026-27 season. Twining has been serving as Australia women's assistant coach and fielding mentor since late 2024 and will take charge of the Renegades for the WBBL campaign before returning to the national set-up once the season concludes.

Twining fills the vacancy left by Simon Helmot, who departed the club in April to pursue opportunities in overseas franchise competitions. The appointment was confirmed on August 14, 2026, with Twining set to link up with the Renegades squad after completing his commitments with the Australia women's side in October.

Twining contributed to Australia's recent women's T20 World Cup campaign in his fielding mentor capacity. He has also worked closely with Sophie Molineux, who captains both the Renegades and the national side, during his time in the national programme.

"Gavan is an outstanding addition to our WBBL programme, bringing World Cup winning experience to our group. There's already a very positive environment within the squad and we felt Gavan was the best person to continue building on that working with the experienced leaders we have in the squad," Renegades general manager Max Abbott said as quoted by Cricinfo.

What does Twining's appointment mean for the Renegades ahead of WBBL 12?

Cricket Victoria ended its association with the Renegades after deciding to sell its second BBL licence and concentrate on a single side. As a result, the Renegades are now administered directly by Cricket Australia for the 2026-27 season. Luke Ronchi has been confirmed as head coach of the Renegades' men's BBL team under the same arrangement.

Twining will not be present for the T20 Spring Challenge, which runs from October 9 to October 21 in Sydney. Clint McKay, the Renegades' high-performance manager, will lead the squad throughout that competition. Twining is expected to join the group once his national duties are complete.

"The Renegades have a strong foundation and a talented squad, and I'm looking forward to helping the players take the next step and build on the success the club has had. Having been part of the Australian team's World Cup campaign, I'm excited to bring those experiences into the Renegades environment and help produce performances that our members and fans can be proud of," said Twining.

When does Twining join the Renegades and what is the schedule ahead?

Australia women are scheduled to face Bangladesh in three ODIs at Allan Border Field in Brisbane, with matches on October 9, October 11 and October 14. The side then hosts New Zealand in three T20Is at North Sydney Oval on October 18, October 20 and October 22. Twining will fulfil his national role across both series before joining the Renegades.