Time ticking to find new Wales head coach

Wales won just four of 11 Tests during 2014

The Welsh Rugby Union will know by the end of this week who is in the running to become the new Wales women's head coach.

The job advert to succeed Ioan Cunningham closes on Friday with interviews taking place from 16 December.

It follows a torrid year both on and off the pitch with a wooden spoon in the Six Nations, a threat of strike action by players amid a bitter contact row with the Union and a head coach sacked.

Whoever gets the job must not only smooth those troubled waters but will be expected to achieve something none of their predecessors managed - breaking into the world's top five.

The WRU said it is seeking an individual to help establish Wales alongside the likes of England, Canada, New Zealand and France.

But Wales are currently ranked 10th after winning just four of 11 Tests in 2024 and even during the successful period between 2022 and 2023, they only ever reached sixth.

A frontrunner has yet to emerge but BBC Sport Wales assesses the potential candidates for the post.

As a review - one of several currently ongoing within the WRU - seeks to look at how the contract row could have been better handled, the players have already been consulted over who they want as Wales head coach.

“I would like someone that has experience in the women’s game," Wales flanker Alisha Joyce-Butchers told The Good, The Scaz & The Rugby podcast.

"We spoke about Simon Middleton and a couple of the PWR coaches. Sean Lynn [Gloucester-Hartpury] is Welsh, would he come? Same with Dave Ward [Bristol Bears] and Alex Austerberry [Saracens].

“If we can get the right appointment in that role, we can thrive as a squad, I truly believe that.”

But former Wales fly-half Elinor Snowsill disagrees.

“I don’t think we should limit ourselves to just coaches who have coached in the women’s game as long as they’re emotionally intelligent to be able to apply their knowledge to a different playing group, that’s the important thing," she said.

“Wayne Smith [New Zealand] and John Mitchell [England], as far as I’m aware, didn’t have any previous experience in the women’s game but are having success."

Sean Lynn has led Gloucester-Hartpury to back-to-backPremiership titles

So who would be interested?

Sean Lynn is the obvious choice. Not only is he Welsh but already coaches 11 of the current Wales squad at double Premiership champions Gloucester-Hartpury,

He would be a popular choice among Gloucester's Wales regulars, including Lleucu George, Bethan Lewis, Sisilia Tuipulotu and captain Hannah Jones.

Lynn said last week he was not in contact with the WRU over the vacancy but did not hide his ambition to coach at international level.

He said some players had asked him about the job but insisted his “full concentration" is at Gloucester.

But he appeared to leave the door open by adding: "There would be a few questions I'd need to ask the WRU straight away."

Bristol Bears Women head coach Dave Ward was another on the radar before signing a new two-year deal last week.

The former Harlequins hooker led Bears to the PWR final last season, as well as two previous semi-finals, and is another already working with several Wales players, including Keira Bevan, Alisha Joyce-Butchers and Jasmine Joyce-Butchers.

He said: “We've started something here [at Bristol] and we want to finish it."

Simon Middleton led England to two Rugby World Cup finals, losing to New Zealand both times

Simon Middleton oversaw a golden period for England, winning the Six nations six times, including five Grand Slams, as well as reaching two World Cup finals in his eight years in charge.

Middleton set up his own high performance consultancy business, but has kept his hand in coaching, including as a high performance advisor to Japan who faced Wales at this summer's WXV2 in South Africa.

Dai Flanagan is also available after leaving Dragons by mutual agreement last month and will be keen to stay in coaching in Wales.

Former Wales captains Rachel Taylor and Liza Burgess have both coached Crawshays and Barbarians Women

Sale Sharks Women’s performance coach Rachel Taylor would be a popular choice with players.

The former Wales forward is a well-respected figure, but whether she would return to the WRU is another matter.

She made history four years ago when she became the Union’s first female professional national coach, but resigned just a few months later, stating she wanted to “stay true” to her beliefs and values.

Taylor never fully explained the reasons behind her departure, but did say her “dream aspiration" would be to take on the head coach role in the future.

Liza Burgess is another giant of the women’s game who might consider moving up from her current role with Wales’ age-grades. Her CV certainly fits the bill.

The former Wales captain and World Rugby Hall of Fame inductee was acting forwards coach in 2006 and has also held several roles, most recently with Wales women’s Under-20s.

Catrina Nicholas-Mclaughlin won 60 caps for Wales while Ashley Beck won seven

The head coaches of Wales’ two Celtic Challenge teams, Catrina Nicholas-Mclaughlin and Ashley Beck, could also be in the mix.

Wales Under-18s head coach and Under-20s assistant Nicholas-McLaughlin led Gwalia Lightning to a third-place finish in last year's tournament.

Ex-Ospreys centre Beck is in charge of Brython Thunder and also acts as attack coach for Wales men’s Under-20s having been left without a job when Worcester Warriors Women went into administration.

The WRU should be in a position to announce the successful applicant in the New Year and after a tumultuous 2024, it is crucial they get it right.

The new head coach must galvanise the squad whilst restoring trust that was lost when players were threatened with consequences if they did not sign contracts within a three hour deadline.

They must also get Wales back to winning ways in the Six Nations, the precursor to the biggest show of all, the World Cup in England next summer.

The new boss will have just eight months to do all of that - an unenviable task.