Canada coaches heading to Super Rugby

Canada will have to find at least two new coaches for their national senior men’s team following the World Cup. Forwards coach Neil Barnes and attack coach Leo Crowley will both be heading south to join Super Rugby franchises immediately following the tournament in England.

Barnes has been recruited by Dave Rennie at the Chiefs where he will replace new London Irish head coach Tom Coventry. The initial contract is for the next two Super Rugby seasons. Prior to joining up with Canada in 2009, Barnes was an assistant coach with ITM Cup provincial side Taranaki. The 57-year-old dairy farmer has never held a full-time rugby position previous to his new appointment.

Crowley, brother of Canada head coach Kieran, was brought on board the Canadian staff specifically for the World Cup after being a long-time assistant to Colin Cooper, also at Taranaki. After a cup-winning season in 2014 it was expected he would be in contention for a Super Rugby position in New Zealand, but instead it will be Australia where he takes his expertise, specifically to Melbourne Rebels. Like Barnes, the contract runs for the 2016 and 2017 Super Rugby campaigns.

Head coach Kieran Crowley’s contract expires in June 2016 and it’s unclear whether he will continue in the position he has occupied for the last eight years. The duration of scrum coach Mike Shelley’s contract is unknown. If speculation is correct, there might well be an entirely new coaching staff at the helm of Canada’s senior men’s team in 12 months time.