Gatland to leave Wales head coach role during Six Nations

Warren Gatland is set to step down as Wales head coach following a record 14 consecutive Test match defeats. Although Gatland, 61, was initially contracted until the 2027 World Cup, his departure was anticipated after the Six Nations. Now, he is expected to leave during the tournament with three matches remaining, prompting Wales to search for an interim head coach.

The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) has approached Cardiff boss Matt Sherratt to take on the role temporarily for the rest of the tournament. Rob Howley, the attack coach, has previously filled in for Gatland during his British and Irish Lions duties.

Wales will face Ireland in Cardiff on 22 February, travel to Scotland on 8 March, and finish the tournament at home against England on 15 March.

Potential long-term replacements for Gatland include former Australia coach Michael Cheika, Glasgow's Franco Smith, and Ireland's interim boss Simon Easterby.

Gatland's tenure has been marked by a tough period for Wales, with the team enduring a 14th consecutive defeat following a 22-15 loss to Italy in Rome last weekend, making it the worst run in the nation's 144-year rugby history.

Warren Gatland previously enjoyed a highly successful 12-year tenure as Wales head coach, securing three Grand Slams, two World Cup semi-finals, and a record 14 consecutive victories that saw Wales briefly top the world rankings.

After departing following the 2019 Rugby World Cup, Gatland returned for a second stint in December 2022, replacing Wayne Pivac. Since then, Gatland has overseen just six wins and 20 losses in 26 Tests, resulting in a win rate of only 23%. Under his leadership, Wales has also fallen to their lowest-ever position of 12th in the world rankings.

Across both terms as head coach, Gatland has led Wales in 151 matches, with an overall record of 76 wins, 73 defeats, and two draws.

When Warren Gatland took over as Wales head coach, he faced a backdrop of financial difficulties in Welsh rugby, including a threatened strike by players ahead of the February 2023 match against England. Although the game went ahead, financial issues within the professional game in Wales persisted.

During the 2023 Six Nations, Gatland managed just one victory. However, he did inspire the team to reach the quarter-finals of the 2023 World Cup. Since then, Wales has not won a Test match, with their last victory coming against Georgia in the pool stages of the World Cup. A loss to Argentina in the quarter-finals marked the beginning of their ongoing losing streak.

In 2024, Wales finished at the bottom of the Six Nations for the first time in 21 years, suffering 11 losses overall—their first winless calendar year since 1937. Amid this decline, Gatland faced mounting pressure, especially as discussions about the structure of the national team grew louder.

Following a record home defeat to Australia in November 2024, former Wales captain Gwyn Jones suggested that Gatland had "checked out." Criticism also came from former players like Mike Phillips, Tom Shanklin, Dan Biggar, and Jamie Roberts, who is also a WRU board member.

Gatland stated that he was willing to step down if it was in the best interests of Welsh rugby but denied offering his resignation in November. His resignation offer was initially rejected by WRU chief executive Abi Tierney in March 2024, following a Six Nations loss to Italy that handed Wales their first Wooden Spoon in 21 years.

After a winless autumn series in 2024, which included losses to Fiji, Australia, and South Africa, WRU chair Richard Collier-Keywood announced that Tierney would conduct a performance review. Gatland was given the green light to continue into the 2025 Six Nations, but his second term hit a new low with a record 43-0 loss to France in the opening game in Paris, followed by another defeat in Rome.