Reddin to be unveiled as new WRU director of rugby
Gareth Southgate and Dave Reddin worked together at the FA
- Published
The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) will unveil Dave Reddin as its new director of professional rugby on Friday.
The WRU has been looking for somebody to oversee the men's and women's senior games in Wales following the departure of executive director of rugby Nigel Walker in December 2024.
Reddin, the former Football Association (FA), England Rugby and Team GB performance expert identified as a leading contender and will now be installed.
One of his first jobs will be to attract a new head coach to replace Warren Gatland, who left during the Six Nations, with Steve Tandy the leading contender.
Wales' men have lost a record 17 Tests in succession, a run they will aim to halt when they play a two-match series in Japan in July.
The national women's side have so far lost all four 2025 Six Nations matches and will complete their campaign against Italy on Sunday.
Who is Dave Reddin?
Reddin worked for England's Rugby Football Union (RFU) as a fitness expert between 1997 and 2006, with the pinnacle being the World Cup success in Australia in 2003
He was also part of Sir Clive Woodward's backroom team on the British and Irish Lions' tour of New Zealand in 2005.
Reddin held the role of director of performance services for Team GB at the London 2012 Olympics.
After his spell working with Team GB, Reddin joined the FA in 2014 as head of performance services under then director of elite development Dan Ashworth.
Reddin's role initially focused on England's development teams but he was appointed head of team strategy and performance in 2016.
That role included responsibilities for performance medicine, analysis, physical performance, nutrition and people development.
Reddin worked with Gareth Southgate's senior England side, including at the 2018 World Cup when they reached the semi-final.
FA chief executive Martin Glenn said Reddin had played a "key role across all 28 of our England teams" when he left the organisation in 2019.
In 2020, Reddin co-founded Pitch32, an agency which works with investors in football to transform on and off field performance.