Wales name Tandy as new head coach

Steve Tandy joined Scotland as defence coach in 2019

Steve Tandy has been named Wales men's head coach.

The Scotland defence coach finished his commitments with Gregor Townsend's team during their summer tour and will link up with his native Wales on 1 September.

The 45-year-old former Neath and Ospreys flanker was under contract with Scotland but the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) has agreed a deal to release him.

WRU performance director Dave Reddin said Tandy had signed a three-year deal which will take him until a year after the 2027 World Cup in Australia.

"Becoming head coach of my home country is a massive honour and a privilege," said Tandy.

The WRU has been looking for a permanent successor to Warren Gatland, who resigned during the Six Nations in February.

Cardiff's Matt Sherratt took over on a temporary basis for the rest of the tournament and then agreed to remain in place for the summer tour of Japan.

Tandy's first game in charge will be against Argentina in Cardiff on Sunday, 9 November, before further autumn internationals against Japan, New Zealand and South Africa.

He is the first homegrown permanent head coach of the men's Test side since Gareth Jenkins was sacked in September 2007, although fellow Welshmen Nigel Davies, Robin McBryde and Rob Howley have taken interim charge since then.

Rebuilding Welsh rugby

Tandy will have his work cut out as he takes on a national side in crisis and with Welsh rugby in disarray.

Wales briefly slipped to a record low of 14th in the world rankings in July, before returning to 12th where they currently stand.

They had suffered a record run of 18 straight Test defeats, a 21-month losing sequence which was finally halted with victory against Japan in Kobe earlier this month.

"I am looking forward to playing a role in the rebuilding phase of Welsh rugby and taking the national team back to competing with the best countries in the world," said Tandy.

"I am excited about the potential of Welsh rugby and the group of young, hard-working players we have.

"The autumn fixtures represent a huge opportunity and give us a chance to test ourselves against some of the best teams in world rugby."

'Best man for the job'

Born in Tonmawr, Tandy played for local side Neath RFC and then Ospreys but was not capped by Wales.

The former back row will return to Wales after coaching Ospreys between 2012 and 2018.

He won the Celtic League title in his first season in charge of the Swansea-based region.

Tandy left Ospreys for a role with Australian side Waratahs, before linking up with Scotland in 2019.

He also held a defence coach role with Gatland's British and Irish Lions squad in South Africa in 2021.

WRU chief executive Abi Tierney says Tandy was the "standout candidate" and that the Union had secured the "very best coach" for the job.

"This is a keystone appointment for us and an integral part of our five-year strategy as we look to achieve sustainable success for our senior men's side," said Tierney.

"Steve fits the bill in terms of the affinity he will be able to create with a young group of players with huge potential, but also the galvanising effect we know he can have on the whole rugby ecosystem as a proud Welshman.

"Our task now is to ensure Steve has the support and resources he needs to succeed in this role."

Backroom staff decisions

The decision to go for Tandy was overseen by new WRU director of rugby Reddin.

"Steve's coaching journey and the approach he has taken to his own learning and development since leaving the Ospreys impressed us during the interview process," said Reddin.

"He embodies the collaborative and systematic approach to building success that I want to instil across our high-performance system.

"Steve is an excellent coach with the motivation and curiosity to continue to learn and develop very much a part of his DNA. These are hugely important characteristics for everyone in our system."

There has been no official news of who will make up Tandy's backroom staff, but Wales will look to recruit some coaches who have been involved in the past two campaigns.

Cardiff head coach Sherratt is in line to be attack coach, while current Harlequins scrum coach Adam Jones and Gloucester assistant Rhys Thomas are also being considered for roles under Tandy.

Reddin confirmed Tandy would not "solely select his backroom staff, but will be fully involved in that process and that they would do that together".

"Steve is a vital part of the future strategy for success in Welsh rugby and I will ensure he has the space, time and support to realise the potential of the exciting group of players he will have at his disposal," said Reddin.

"He brings a wealth of experience, a unique understanding of Wales and the young talent we have at our disposal and a huge amount of passion and desire to excel in the role."

Mixed emotions for Scotland

Scottish Rugby chief executive Alex Williams says he was "disappointed" to see Tandy leave.

"We have worked closely with Abi Tierney and her team at the Welsh Rugby Union to allow Steve to join them and recruitment for a suitable replacement is under way," said Williams.

"Steve is an extremely popular and talented coach and so we have mixed emotions.

"At Scottish Rugby we aim to have the best coaches in the world and Steve is one of them."

Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend says Tandy had a "positive influence" on Scottish Rugby.

"He has helped me massively in my role and been someone I've leaned on for advice," said Townsend.

"We've worked together on various ways of improving the environment and team over the years.

"It'll be sad not having him with us anymore but it's also a massive honour for him to become the head coach of his home country."