Welsh rugby bosses set deadline to decide Warren Gatland's future with all options on table

Welsh rugby bosses have confirmed that Warren Gatland's fate as Wales coach will be clarified before Christmas.

The pressure has grown on the Wales head coach after 12 straight defeats at Test level - the worst run of results in the 143-year history of rugby in this country. 2024 has seen Wales finish the year without a Test victory for the first time since 1937 and drop outside of the top 10 in World Rugby's rankings.

In recent weeks, Gatland has admitted he was comfortable with whatever decision was made over his future, adding he had questioned his own position and would walk away if he felt it was the best interests of Welsh rugby.

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Although, after the latest defeat to South Africa in Cardiff, he claimed he was "motivated to want to be here" as his bosses prepare to look through the wreckage of another winless campaign.

"It's disappointing," said Richard Collier-Keywood, who referred to the review as a "collective responsibility".

"It's clearly disappointing. It's not what the Welsh public expects. It's not what we expect either. You need to step back from this and think of it as a journey.

"Sometimes the journey is equally as important as the destination. It is a very young group of players. There are no silver bullets here to fix this."

Welsh Rugby Union CEO Abi Tierney will lead the review in the coming weeks, with input coming from, among other, WRU executive director of rugby Nigel Walker. WRU board member Jamie Roberts, who has been critical of Wales in his role as a TV pundit this autumn, will also be involved, as will WRU president Terry Cobner.

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The review, which the Union stress is normal procedure after any campaign, will also collaborate with Gatland and his management team, while there will be external input from ex-players.

"We're looking at everything," said Tierney. "We'll be looking at what's best to take Wales forward.

"Any point that says we need something different to take Wales forward, we'll absolutely be exploring that. We're already doing a huge amount of benchmarking on performance.

"We've been doing that benchmarking and really understand where our performance challenges are. So it's about plugging the last three games into that data and looking at the system as a whole, seeing what's working and what can be improved.

"If not, are there things we can do to improve between now and the Six Nations? The big question for me is whether there is more we need to do, particularly with our regions, to ensure when the players are coming to us, we've got the best possible chance of succeeding."

The review of the autumn campaign is expected to be completed before Christmas, with Tierney earmarking a meeting on December 17 as when she would like to get her findings to the WRU board. As such, there would be little time to replace Gatland were a decision reached to get rid of the Wales coach before next year's Six Nations.

Welsh Rugby Union chair Collier-Keywood admitted that, were any such decision taken, they would "look to put an interim head coach in" place ahead of the Six Nations opener with France in Paris on January 31.

"That’s part of the decision," added Tierney. "They’re not all stood waiting in a queue. A lot of very good coaches are already under contract so that has to be part of it – what choices do we have available?

"If there were quick fixes, we would have made the quick fixes, so it has got to be about what are the sustainable changes we can make."

Neither would be drawn on Gatland being in charge for the trip to Paris in January, with Collier-Keywood saying the Wales coach's future was "subject to the review". Both are aware that pressure will only grow moving into the Six Nations should the losing run continue.

At a time when Welsh rugby is awash with different reviews, this latest one will not be made public - on account of it being, in the words of Tierney, a "normal, business as usual review of performance," rather than a "big formal review".

However, perhaps crucially on a day when the Union announced losses of £7.5m in 2024, finances will have no bearing - with the perception that the WRU cannot afford to get rid of Gatland, who is contracted through to the 2027 World Cup, being "not correct".

"Not in the whole scheme of things, if it's the right decision we will work through that decision," said Tierney. "That (any break clause in Gatland's contract) is not relevant.

"Any decision will not be driven by cost and that is confidential from somebody's personal contract."

Collier-Keywood, who joined the Union in 2023, echoed Wales assistant coach Rob Howley in calling Gatland one of the best coaches in the world - adding he felt the Wales coach has shouldered too much of the blame in recent weeks and that the review would not solely revolve around his own position.

"It's probably been too pointed on Warren," he said. "As head coach, he's the person that gets interviewed after every match.

"As he's said himself, he's only human and I can only imagine how difficult that has been over the last couple of matches in particular. But of course, as head coach you are responsible for the performances of the side, so I guess that's what comes with the job.

"On reflection, as a WRU, we need to stand up and support him in this. This is not a review of Warren Gatland, I want to make that very clear.

"This is a review of the whole performance of the WRU. Warren is going to fully participate in that review. He's got an awful lot to give to that review.

"The Welsh public would expect us to do a review and it's important we own the performance and not limit it to one aspect and that is Warren Gatland.

"He is a very important aspect but this is a time when he is a part of it but not in the sole spotlight."

Tierney added: "One of the questions we will be asking is 'Warren, what more can we do to support you and help you succeed'? We are constantly looking at how best we support him and the team."