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Which former Man United exec could help to turn Welsh rugby around? ALEX BYWATER on 10 leading candidates for the new director of rugby role READ MORE: Why new Wales coach Matt Sherratt can finally end their horror run and the big calls he must make straight away to kickstart Six Nations Join more than 130,000 Mail+ subscribers to get exclusive access to the best Six Nations coverage throughout the tournament from our world-class team By ALEX BYWATER Published: 07:00 EST, 18 February 2025 | Updated: 07:00 EST, 18 February 2025 e-mail View comments As Welsh rugby plans a route forward from the depths of despair , much – if not all – of the focus is on who will succeed Warren Gatland as the nation’s next permanent head coach. Franco Smith, Simon Easterby, Michael Cheika and Pat Lam are all of interest to Wales after Gatland departed following a run of 14 straight Test losses. However, the Welsh Rugby Union are not only looking for a new men’s coach, but also a director of rugby and you could make a strong argument to say the second of those appointments is actually the more important long term.
That’s because Wales have problems to solve throughout their rugby ecosystem, not just at the top of the pyramid. In an ideal world, the WRU would appoint a director of rugby first and then that person would have a say in the identity of the next head coach, so time is of the essence. Here, Mail Sport looks at 10 candidates for the high-profile director of rugby role.
.. Stuart Lancaster The name of the former England head coach was proposed by Mail Sport before Gatland departed as a leading director of rugby contender.
And nothing has changed on that front. Lancaster has coached at Test level and worked in England’s development pathway to bring through the future generations. He’s worked in England, Ireland and France.
But it remains to be seen if Lancaster would want to make a quick return after being sacked as Racing 92 head coach at the start of the month. Departing Racing and joining the WRU would be a case of out of the frying pan and into the fire for the 55-year-old. Head coach Warren Gatland left Wales Rugby for the second time amid a miserable run of form for the home nations side - but the set-up must also fill the director of rugby role Wales were thumped 22-15 by Italy in their fourteenth defeat in a row under the former director of rugby With a major appointment to fill - while navigating this year's Six Nations - established names like Racing 92's former head coach Stuart Lancaster are emerging Gethin Watts Now head of recruitment under Lam at Gallagher Premiership side Bristol Bears, Watts knows the Welsh pathway system inside out.
He was WRU national performance manager between 2011 and 2017 and played an instrumental role in developing a golden generation of players which included the likes of Sam Warburton, Dan Biggar and Jonathan Davies among others. Watts led the WRU’s elite pathway previously, so his knowledge of the Welsh game makes him an exceptional candidate and he has a track record of bringing through players to senior level, something Wales badly need to improve on moving forward. Might not have the reputation of other more high-profile candidates, but is arguably one of the most qualified.
Has broadened his experience at Bristol, building a talented squad at Ashton Gate and working with the club’s academy. To make the significant change required, Wales need a director of rugby to stick around for the long-term and passionate Welshman Watts could be the man. Jamie Roberts With 94 Wales caps and three for the Lions, Roberts undoubtedly has top pedigree from his playing career and he is currently an independent non-executive director on the WRU board, so is already involved in Welsh rugby’s corridors of power.
He understands the requirements of what is needed to play at the highest level and another advantage he has is that he played in five different countries over the course of his career so would surely have picked up plenty of experience on what works and what doesn’t. He would however almost certainly have to give up his growing media career to join the WRU full time. Has no direct coaching or performance experience.
Steve Diamond He has 25 years of coaching experience and time and time again he has gone into struggling teams with little resource and turned them around. Wales certainly fit into that category right now. Diamond has worked with Sale, Saracens, Russia, Worcester, Edinburgh and is currently in charge of Newcastle Falcons.
For too long, Welsh rugby has been scared to make tough decisions and the no-nonsense Diamond certainly won’t be afraid to call things as he sees it. That said, he is good at building relationships within a rugby environment. Diamond is an engaging and motivating figure and could work well alongside a younger, more inexperienced head coach such as Easterby.
Wales legend Jamie Roberts has an inside-out experience of the set-up but no formal training Steve Diamond is the type of candidate unafraid of making tough decisions - something Wales desperately need Huw Bevan He is technically the man in possession of the role, although only on an interim basis. Bevan is currently the WRU’s interim performance director. He has held senior elite sports performance positions within multiple organisations in rugby and cricket.
One wonders if the WRU will look outside their organisation for a new direction of travel. Bevan accepted Wales’ fall to 12th in World Rugby’s rankings was a fair reflection of the country’s fall from grace. ‘We’ve done a lot of work in the pathway system that will take time to come through,’ he said, speaking at a press conference where Matt Sherratt was confirmed as interim Wales head coach for the rest of the Six Nations after Gatland’s departure.
‘This hasn’t happened in the last few years. This has been several years in the making. We’ve got to overcome that.
Our succession plan in the future needs to be better. ‘We need to address that and ensure younger players get opportunities.’ Rob Baxter Like Diamond, Baxter has huge experience of English club rugby.
He took Exeter into the Premiership and eventually made them domestic and European champions, building an impressive squad along the way. A host of Wales players are currently working with Baxter at Sandy Park, so he has a strong awareness of the likes of lock Dafydd Jenkins already. After some extraordinary success with the Chiefs, Baxter’s team are struggling in the Premiership this season after undergoing a dramatic rebuild so perhaps now might be the time for him to be tempted by a move elsewhere.
Dan Ashworth An outside-the-box suggestion admittedly. Ashworth is perhaps the highest-profile sporting director in English football, so he has no rugby experience. However, his pedigree in elite development is unquestioned after stints with West Brom, The Football Association, Brighton, Newcastle and Manchester United.
At the FA, Ashworth and Gareth Southgate delivered a clear playing style and DNA to all England teams and that’s something badly needed in Welsh rugby now. Hasn’t taken a job since leaving United in December. A number of Wales stars currently work with the hugely experienced Rob Baxter at Exeter Former Man United sporting director Dan Ashworth is a left-field choice but his pedigree in elite development is unquestionable Simon Raiwalui has strong high performance credentials after burnishing Fiji's reputation Simon Raiwalui Coached Fiji to the quarter-finals of the 2023 World but before that, he had success in what was effectively a director of rugby role with the Pacific Islanders.
He is currently tasked with growing rugby at international level in developing nations as World Rugby’s high performance pathways and player development manager. If he is deemed suitable of improving rugby across the globe, surely he could do it in Wales? His high performance credentials are impressive. Read More Which of England's Smiths make the cut? Mail Sport's British and Irish Lions squad as it stands Andrew Hore He has bounced between a plethora of different jobs in Wales and the southern hemisphere and is currently chief executive of Auckland Blues.
Was with the WRU as long ago as their 2005 Six Nations Grand Slam in a fitness role before moving into the high performance and then business sides of rugby. Previously in Wales he’s been a key figure at the Ospreys, so knows things from the domestic side too. Billy Millard Another currently in the Premiership, Millard is director of rugby with Harlequins.
He has had several different roles at the London club, but has been there since 2018 and was integral to Quins winning the English league title in 2021. Has excellent experience in both coaching and also has past employment in the Welsh game on his CV having worked with the country’s capital club side Cardiff. Manchester United Wales Rugby Share or comment on this article: Which former Man United exec could help to turn Welsh rugby around? ALEX BYWATER on 10 leading candidates for the new director of rugby role e-mail Add comment.
