Rob Howley has regained a place in the management of the Welsh rugby team after being dismissed for breaching sports betting rules, the Welsh Federation (WRU) announced on Thursday.
The ex-Welsh international, now aged 53, left the Leek XV staff before the 2019 World Cup when it emerged that he had bet more than 350 times on sporting events. Suspended for 18 months, nine of which were suspended, Howley bounced back with Canada in 2020.
“I have a second chance to do a job that I have dedicated my entire professional life to and I am grateful to Welsh rugby for their tolerance and confidence in me, a confidence that I intend to repay by giving my best. myself,” he said in a statement released by the WRU.
The former scrum-half will work alongside coach Warren Gatland as “technical coach”, a position which also covers the Welsh under-20 team.
Howley has previously worked in Wales management. He was attack coach between 2008 and 2019, a golden period for Welsh rugby (four titles in the Six Nations Tournament, including three grand slams, a semi-final at the 2011 World Cup).
“Rob is currently one of the most successful and experienced Welsh coaches on the international stage,” commented Gatland, noting that with his sidelining Wales had lost “a phenomenal amount of intelligence and knowledge of our sport.
“We are delighted with his return to the management team in 2024, it is a major coup for Welsh rugby,” he added. Quarter-finalist in the World Cup this fall in France, beaten by Argentina, Wales will launch its 2024 season on February 3 with the reception of Scotland on the first day of the Six Nations Tournament.
