Canada appoints new coach

NEWS: Canada has appointed Steve Meehan as the new Head Coach.

Meehan comes into the role with 17 years of professional coaching experience with some of the top rugby competitions in the world.

He served as Head Coach of Bath in the English Premiership for five seasons including winning the European Challenge Cup. His coaching experience includes stints with French Top 14 teams Stade Français and Toulon, as well as Australia’s Force and Reds in Super Rugby.

“This is an exciting opportunity to be part of the next chapter for Canada and help guide the program into the future,” said Meehan.

“I know Canada is a proud rugby country with a deeply passionate rugby community, and I look forward to meet the coaches and players around the country. I see great potential in the players and I look forward to the role I can play to help grow the team and our sport across Canada.”

In pursuit of qualifying for the 2027 World Cup in Australia, the decision to name Meehan was taken following a lengthy process analyzing team results, performance, preparation, player feedback, and staff effectiveness conducted by Canada’s High-Performance Director.

“A coach profile was identified to guide the competencies, experience, and characteristics needed in the next Canadian national team coach to give the program the best opportunity to succeed,” said Stephen Aboud, Canada’s High-Performance Director.

“We did a wide and expansive search for the next coach, evaluated over 150 coaches and Steve came through the process as our top candidate.”

“Steve brings proven experience in coaching successful teams and a strong track record for improving players,” said Nathan Bombrys,  Canada CEO.

“We believe Steve’s positive coaching and leadership will create the right environment for our team to achieve the growth needed to reach their potential and qualify for the World Cup.”