Ben Sawyer has exited as the head coach of the New Zealand Women’s team, completing his four-year tenure.

This comes after New Zealand cricket decided not to renew his contract following a detailed review of the women’s high-performance structure.

Sawyer’s contract was due to run until December 2026, but NZC said the review had identified a need for a new performance Lead role, while the Manager position held by Rachael Pettit has also been repelled.

On this occasion, an interim head coach and team manager will be taking charge of the side for next month’s T20I series in Australia.

In the meantime, the recruitment process for the performance head coach and Performance Lead roles is set to begin shortly.

“Being the White Ferns coach has been a huge honour, and I’m really grateful to have had the opportunity to lead this group,” Sawyer said.

“This team means a lot to me, and I’m really proud of what we’ve been able to achieve in the past four years. Although I’m disappointed to be leaving, I want to wish the team and New Zealand Cricket all the best.”

Sawyer’s period with New Zealand has been one of the finest periods in White Ferns history.

Taking charge in the 2022 season, the side won the Bronze medal in the Birmingham Commonwealth Games. Under the guidance of Sawyer, New Zealand women secured the T20 World Cup title in 2024.

Several young talents emerged and received central contracts around the time of Sawyer’s appointment. Georgia Plimmer, Eden Carson and Izzy Gaze are the players recieved contract and became World Cup winners under his guidance.

Acknowledging his contributions, NZC’s chief High Performance Cricket Officer Daryl Gibson said, “Ben’s overseen a period of considerable change and progression for the White Ferns and we’re deeply appreciative of the commitment, professionalism and time he invested in the women’s game.”

“It was a difficult decision which was not made lightly, but it reflects our view that the next stage of the White Ferns journey requires a different leadership approach to support the future direction of the programme,” concluded Daryl Gibson.