Tonight's rugby news as WRU announce leadership shake-up and Wales star making big impact
Your rugby evening headlines on Thursday, January 30.
WRU announce significant shake-up
The Welsh Rugby Union have announced a significant shake-up to its executive team.
WRU CEO Abi Tierney's new streamlined executive team structure has been created to help the governing body achieve its five-year strategy for all areas of the game in Wales. The new executive leadership team consists of five roles, where previously there were up to nine individuals, and will include a new chief growth officer, a chief operating officer, the chief people officer, a director of professional rugby and a director of the community game.
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Two of the roles are actively being recruited for, including a global search for a chief growth officer and a director of rugby, both keystone appointments in implementing Welsh rugby’s new headline ‘One Wales’ strategy launched last summer.
The current people director, Lydia Stirling, will become chief people officer, with the WRU’s governance function now reporting into this role. The role of chief financial officer Leighton Davies also evolves, to become chief operating officer, taking added responsibility for all operational aspects of the business, including Principality Stadium, the WRU legal team and company secretary duties.
Following the departure of Nigel Walker as executive director of rugby in December 2024, executive responsibilities for the professional and community games in Wales are currently split between interim performance director, Huw Bevan and the incumbent community director Geraint John.
There will no longer be a commercial and legal director role within the executive team. As a result of this, the Welsh Rugby Union’s commercial and legal director, Rhodri Lewis, will leave the group after 14 years’ service to Welsh rugby at the end of January.
The new chief growth officer will have oversight and leadership of key commercial negotiations and will ensure a clear return on investment is maintained across all commercial WRU deals. They will take an active role in managing broadcast partnerships and oversee business development, partner account management and marketing operations as well as collaborating more closely with Welsh professional clubs to help grow their fan bases and commercial revenues.
“The new chief growth officer will be expected to generate more income for the business, so that more money can be fed back into the game in Wales,” says Tierney.
“Alongside these growth objectives, we have started a cost saving and efficiency programme which seeks to improve our financial foundations as part of the ‘One Wales’ strategy.
“Being a more efficient business doesn’t mean you turn off investment and we are keen to invest in the right areas to improve our income generation for the benefit of Welsh rugby.”
The extended senior leadership team, reporting directly to the new executive team, will continue to evolve and includes roles in the WRU’s legal, HR, marketing, communications, events and stadium facilities departments as well as a new high-profile appointment, the head of women’s rugby.
“This new streamlined executive structure gives us a more efficient and more targeted leadership team, as well as giving us the opportunity to bring world-class capability into the organisation” added Tierney.
“These will be the individuals and roles charged with enabling and implementing the new One Wales strategy, launched in headline form last summer.
“Together we will help Welsh rugby achieve the objectives set out in our strategy by allowing our talented and dedicated staff, and all those working in the best interests of rugby throughout the game in Wales, to reach their full potential."
Adams makes big impact on return
Wales captain Jac Morgan says having Josh Adams back in the squad has been “brilliant” as he praised the influence the wing has had on his team-mates so far.
Adams has not featured for Wales since last year’s Six Nations, with an injury-hit year seeing him miss the summer tour of Australia and the autumn internationals.
However, the 29-year-old is now back in the fold and will line up against France tomorrow night as the joint-second most capped Welsh player on the pitch.
With the Cardiff man knowing what it’s like to not only win Test matches but Grand Slams, Morgan explained that Adams has helped to lift younger members of the squad by passing on some of his wisdom.
“It’s brilliant,” he said at Thursday’s captain’s run at the Stade de France. “That experience, he has been there and done that (won in France) and been in campaigns where Wales have been successful in the past.
“[For him] to bring that experience and teach a lot of the younger boys and myself, we are just learning from him and the messages he can drive.”
On his side’s game plan for Friday night, Morgan added: “We [will] just play how we want to try and play. We know how dangerous France are, it’s going to be a tough game. They have a lot of great players and they are an excellent team.
“It’s going to be a real tough battle and challenge tomorrow, we just have to stick together as a group and keep on working what we have worked on and see how it goes tomorrow.
“It would be great [to prove people wrong],” he added. “Not a lot of people are expecting a lot from us, a lot of people are writing us off. It drives us on a little bit as a squad wanting to prove people wrong.
“We want to do the best we can as a team. So, yes, we are trying to build that siege mentality.”
France legend: Wales to finish last
Legendary France back rower Thierry Dusatoir says Welsh rugby is in a mess, and predicts a last-place finish for them in the Six Nations.
Wales face France in the tournament opener on Friday, with Fabien Galthie welcoming back the likes of Romain Ntamack and Antoine Dupont to his squad.
Warren Gatland survived being sacked by the Welsh Rugby Union after losing every single Test of 2024, with the last win for the team coming in the World Cup.
"Welsh rugby is in a bad place. For France, playing at home is very important. It is a good place to start for us," Dusatoir said to Genting Casino.
"Wales have a lot of young players without much international experience. We have to take this opportunity to win the game and to give us confidence."
As well as giving his opinion on Friday's match, Dusatoir reckons Italy will finish above Wales again if they show consistency.
"Number one France, number two Ireland, number three England, number four Scotland, number five Italy, number six Wales," added Dusatoir.
"Italy were quite interesting during the last Six Nations. They have some young and very promising backs.
"Italy are still improving and Gonzalo Quesada is doing a good job there. I remember last year they should have won against us. They deserved it too. I hope that they're starting to build some consistency and to be able to show that they are playing better rugby right now. Their problem has been no consistency, up and down every year."
Michael Cheika to leave Tigers
By PA Sport Staff
Leicester head coach Michael Cheika will leave at the end of the season after deciding not to extend his contract with the club.
The Australian signed a one-year deal at the start of the campaign but just over a week ago he claimed negotiations about him remaining beyond the end of his current deal had been pushed back in the wake of a club record 80-12 defeat in the European Champions Cup to Toulouse.
“While disappointed, given the positive influence Michael has had since joining us in the summer, we were always aware of this being a one-year deal and we have been transparent with players, staff, and supporters on that point,” said chief executive Andrea Pinchen.
“As we have said throughout Michael’s tenure, we would have liked to have extended his time in the head coach role but understand why that can’t happen.
“Knowing it was a one-year contract, the club has been running a recruitment process to find a suitable replacement.
“It goes without saying that Michael is fully committed to seeing out his time as head coach in a successful way, determined to add silverware to the trophy cabinet and we are excited about what remains in this campaign.”
Speculation has already linked former Leicester prop and ex-Munster head coach Graham Rowntree as a potential successor.
