Wales Women and coach part ways as World Cup prep kicks in

NEWS: Ioan Cunningham has left his position with the Wales Women coaching team by mutual agreement after three years at the helm.

The Welsh Rugby Union will now begin the process of appointing a new head coach in earnest as it continues to separately address issues raised by a recent review.

Given the current break in international competition, time will now be taken to ensure this critical appointment is made in a manner that gives the Wales squad the very best chance of success in the short, medium and long term.

A new coach will be in post ahead of next year’s Six Nations competition in order to give maximum opportunity to prepare for that tournament and for the 2025 World Cup in England.

“We would like to formally thank Ioan Cunningham for his contribution to the senior international women’s game in Wales over the last three seasons,” said WRU CEO Abi Tierney.

“Ioan has been in charge for the transition of the team from amateur to professional status and led the side to a first ever win over Australia this year after seeing them finish third in Six Nations 2023 and reach WXV1 in that year.

“We are in the early stages of professionalism in the senior women’s game, there are challenges which we are addressing with determination and vigour, but our dedication to this integral part of our game is unwavering.

“The women’s and girls’ game remains a priority for Welsh rugby and is a key part of our new strategy for the game in Wales.”

“We have made some significant progress and there are many achievements to be proud of in terms of squad development. In particular, reaching the quarter-finals of the 2021 Rugby World Cup (played in 2022), and third place finishes in both the 2022 and 2023 Six Nations, where a top three placing enabled us to qualify for the top tier WXV1 tournament,” said Cunningham.

“But the time is now right for someone new to take the helm and I wish the new regime and everyone involved in this elite programme all the very best for the future.”

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Meanwhile, the WRU Board met on Tuesday to further consider the recent review into contract negotiations with the Wales Women’s international squad.

This first draft of the review, which was instigated by the WRU Board in August in immediate response to a letter from players, was considered with some further work to be completed by the panel this week.

The next step is to share the final draft with those who contributed to the review , ensuring they get the opportunity to comment on the facts as laid out in the report and the conclusions reached before its formal publication.

Once the Wales Women’s squad and other contributors have commented then the Board has indicated that they will publish the review.

Whilst this process has been ongoing, CEO Abi Tierney and Chair Richard Collier-Keywood have continued conversations with those involved to make sure that actions continue to be taken to create the best possible environment to nurture success.

Abi Tierney said: “We are already working on implementing some of the recommendations that we know are going to be included in the review and I confirm that we have committed to ensuring that the women players are brought within our normal employee processes.

“Discussions have already taken place on installing an external mediator to support players and the WRU’s ‘Have a Voice’ initiative for staff is to be revisited with the Wales Women squad.

“This will be an important component for change and will ensure that we can directly access the views of the players into the future.”

WRU Chair Richard Collier-Keywood said, “On 15th September the WRU agreed to establish a Women’s Rugby Committee which reports directly to the main Board, to be chaired by one of our directors Amanda Bennett.

“This will improve governance and accountability for all aspects of the women’s game.

“I have reflected on the events of the last few weeks and we are pleased that the players have felt able to discuss their understandable concerns with the Board and senior leadership directly.

“Whilst it has not been easy to hear, nor easy for the players to say, the fact that they have come forward to talk about longstanding issues indicates that much needed change is underway.

“Actions speak louder than words in terms of change and we are looking forward to publishing the full report later this month and explaining the further actions we will take to respond to the recommendations and ensure improvements are delivered.”