Warren Gatland reveals personal tragedies as wife suggested he walk away from rugby
Warren Gatland has revealed a number of personal tragedies he suffered last year.
Gatland was interviewed by Welsh presenter Sarra Elgan on her BBC programme 'Six Nations 2025 Preview'. Last year, Wales did not win a single Test match, and Gatland has come under huge scrutiny on the back of those results.
The New Zealand coach has been challenged to achieve success in the upcoming Six Nations, after a review from the Welsh Rugby Union saw him keep his job.
READ MORE: Clive Woodward says Wales have one player every rugby fan should watch
READ MORE: Jiffy column: I don't want this to be the end for me but this Six Nations might be
However, on the eve of the Six Nations, Gatland has revealed that on top of all the pressures that 2024 brought in rugby, it was off-the-field issues that really affected him.
"2024 was a tough year, but not just from a rugby perspective," explained Gatland. "My son's best friend was killed, hit by a car in Sydney. We had a couple of friends who were the same age as me who unfortunately passed away. A good friend of mine's grandson passed away as well.
"It does put things into perspective, it puts life into perspective. It puts the importance of what you're doing in sport into perspective. My wife said - 'Do you need to put yourself through this? Why don't you just come to the beach and just enjoy yourself?'"
"A glutton for punishment," joked Elgan.
"Yeah, I know," answered Gatland. "Roll on '25."
If you would like to watch the full episode, then click here.
Wales kick off their Six Nations campaign against France at 8.15pm on Friday, January 31. Gatland faces the mammoth task of toppling a French side who are strong favourites, alongside Ireland, to win the tournament.
Perhaps Wales' best chance of victory will come up against Italy in round two of the tournament, but the Azzurri have beaten them twice in the last three years.
