Scarlets snap up 'out of work' Wasps coach
NEWS: The former coach of English crisis club Wasps has joined the staff of Welsh regional side Scarlets for the rest of the season.
Lee Blackett was one of 167 players and staff made redundant after Wasps, the four-time Premiership and twice European champions, went into administration on October 17.
The 39-year-old, who joins Dwayne Peel’s coaching team as backs and skills coach, said in a Scarlets statement: “When Dwayne reached out to me for a discussion about the backs and skills coach role at the Scarlets, I was delighted.
“Our rugby philosophies are well aligned and I am very excited to play a part in what Dwayne is developing.”
Peel welcomed Blackett’s arrival by saying: “He is a highly respected backs and attack coach who did a great job in a similar role with Wasps.”
England’s governing Rugby Football Union announced last month Wasps would be relegated from the Premiership after entering administration.
Wasps were hit by a winding-up order from tax authorities for an unpaid bill of £2-million (US$2.25-million and they also faced having to repay a £35 million bond that had helped finance the club’s relocation to Coventry during 2014.
But Wasps’ joint administrators said last week they had accepted an offer to purchase the club.