Services

no_space

Supporting Sport

Wilkins handed head coach role on three-year contract

By John Fallon

Pete Wilkins, as expected, has been appointed to take charge of Connacht from next season in succession to Andy Friend.

He will become the province’s tenth boss in the professional era, having joined Connacht in 2017 as an assistant coach to Kieran Keane during the New Zealander’s sole season in charge.

The 43-years-old English native continued as an assistant coach during Andy Friend’s opening four seasons at the Sportsground and last summer, after being part of Andy Farrell’s Irish coaching ticket on the historic tour of New Zealand, was promoted to head coach after Friend was appointed Connacht director of rugby.

Wilkins will now continue as Connacht head coach for three years, starting in the summer with the director rugby role being dispensed with when Friend leaves at the end of the season.

Wilkins will become the first Englishman to take charge of Connacht. There have been three Irish coaches (Eddie O’Sullivan, Michael Bradley and Eric Elwood), four from New Zealand (Warren Gatland, Glenn Ross, Pat Lam and Kieran Keane), along with Steph Nel from South Africa, and Australian native, Friend.

Wilkins, who was previously assistant coach with the Queensland Reds in Australia where he also held various other community and development roles, also had a stint as assistant coach with Edinburgh.

Wilkins and scrum and contact coach Colm Tucker look like being the only ones of the current coaching ticket to remain. Aside from Friend, attack and skills coach Mossy Lawler is returning to his native Munster; while South African Dewald Senekal, the forwards coach, is reported to be taking up a similar role in France with ProD2 leaders Oyonnax in the summer.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App

Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.

Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.

Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite  HERE.

Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.

 

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune:

Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App

Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.

Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.

Get the Connacht Tribune Live app

The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.

More like this:

Sign Up To get Weekly Sports UPDATES

Go Up