Sir Clive Woodward has given his “categorical no” to joining Wales after being tipped as an option to succeed Nigel Walker as the Welsh Rugby Union’s new director of rugby. But he offered Sam Warburton as an option.
The former England boss said it was “surprising and flattering” to hear his name mentioned in connection with the role, after Sunday Times rugby correspondent Stephen Jones said the WRU should “begging” him to take the job amid a series of torrid results. on the side of Warren Gatland.
“It would be excellent to bring in one or two specialized and dynamic coaches,” Jones wrote. “And as I keep saying, hiring Sir Clive Woodward as an advisor, or even director of rugby, to replace Walker would be the boldest and best move – but Wales is probably still too narrow a country spirited and too anti-English to dare to employ a knight of the English kingdom, what a shame.
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However, in response to the links in his MailOnline column, Woodward said it was a resounding no. He added that although he might have been tempted ten years ago, he would no longer be interested in taking on such a role in Wales or any other country.
But the World Cup-winning manager suggested a “heavyweight” alternative in Warburton, emphasizing the importance of the role and saying neither Wales nor England had ever “done things correctly”. He went on to claim under-fire Rugby chief executive Walker was “completely overwhelmed” with the WRU lacking “strong and transparent leadership” as he outlined his suggestions for moving forward .
“I’m sorry to disappoint those who cross the Severn Bridge,” Woodward wrote when addressing the links. “The answer is a resounding no! I have to [Jones] a drink for putting me forward. However, this is not a position that currently interests me in any country. I have evolved. It’s a match I would have loved maybe 10 years ago, especially at Twickenham, but not today.
“Neither the RFU nor the WRU have a strong personality with experience of international football in a senior position working alongside their respective head coaches. In Gatland, Wales have a very, very experienced coach,” he added. “His expertise in handling hundreds of tests means there is little he hasn’t seen or done. But even a man of Gatland’s caliber needs a strong figure to work with, especially at such a difficult time for Welsh rugby.”
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After highlighting the importance of strong leadership and comparing it to Walker’s current “struggling” tenure, Woodward had one man in mind for who should take the job next: former Wales captain, Warburton. The ex-Cardiff star is currently a board member at Arms Park and Woodward believes he could be a prime candidate for the crucial WRU role.
“I think the WRU should really look to recruit a heavyweight figure to run their rugby operations, whether Gatland stays or not,” he wrote. “I urge Wales to consider the great Sam Warburton as someone to consider.”
The nod comes after Warburton recently called for a “complete review” of Welsh rugby at the end of the autumn campaign. “It’s a three-week campaign,” he said after the defeat to Fiji. “I don’t think we judge on a match, we can judge on a campaign.
“I think when it’s done, you need to go away and have a full review of what’s going on. Talk to key members of staff and players. The board should meet with the entire hierarchy of performance staff and then you will have an overall idea of what is going on.