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Warren Gatland’s former employers have laid out the welcome mat for him to return to them if he leaves his post in Wales.
The New Zealander’s future as head coach – a role he took on for the second time upon joining Wales in 2022 – remains uncertain after overseeing a record run of 12 successive Test match defeats . A winless Six Nations was followed by summer defeats to Australia and South Africa and a dismal autumn campaign, with Wales going an entire calendar year without a win for the first time since 1937.
While it would be entirely unfair to lay the blame solely at Gatland’s door, his future with Wales is now subject to review by the Welsh Rugby Union, with his fate expected to be decided in the coming weeks.
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After the loss to South Africa this weekend, the coach claimed he was “motivated to want to be here”, but earlier this fall he admitted he was comfortable with any decision made about his future and that he would leave if he felt it was the right decision. best interests of Welsh rugby.
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Now Gatland’s hometown club, the Chiefs have potentially offered him a move from Wales, with Super Rugby side Pacific ready to welcome the coach to New Zealand.
He previously worked at the club on both sides of his first spell with Wales, acting there as a technical advisor in 2006 before returning 14 years later as manager. However, his return proved somewhat difficult as his team lost all eight of their Super Rugby Aotearoa matches and finished bottom of the table, with Gatland then moving to a newly created director of rugby role at the club before joining the Wales.
But while, as with Wales, the New Zealander presided over the worst losing run in Chiefs’ history by bleeding young players, club CEO Simon Graafhuis insists Gatland does not ‘has not lost touch and, in an interview with the Waikato Times, entertained the prospect of welcoming him back.
“He’s a world-class coach with a proven track record, he’s local, Gatty would be welcome here,” he said. “Didn’t they call him the redeemer? You think about what he did for Wales.
“It’s difficult when you don’t have livestock…sometimes things don’t necessarily work with a different cohort. But that doesn’t mean you’re a bad coach.”
Although Graafhuis admitted a director of rugby role could be considered again, a return for Gatland at this stage seems unlikely, with head coach Clayton McMillan performing well since taking over from the current coach of Wales, initially as interim coach.
“[Gatland] He is someone the club holds in high regard,” Graafhuis added. “If you have a position available you would be foolish not to consider it. But we don’t have any places at the moment, our staff is full for next year.
