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Former Canada sevens head coach Geraint John has been promoted by the Welsh Rugby Union to Head of Rugby Performance. The new position is one of two created by the departure of previous Head of Rugby Josh Lewsey resigned in January. Its primary focus is to oversee professional and semi-professional rugby in Wales, and includes a seat on the Welsh Rugby Executive Board.
John was hired by the WRU as Elite Coach Development Manager in August, a position he assumed after resigning his post as Director of Rugby for the Australian sevens program. The 53-year-old spent only one season in Australia, having previously been a mainstay at Rugby Canada for eight years beginning in 2006 as High Performance Director before being widely lauded for his team’s achievements on the HSBC World Sevens Series.
Welsh rugby CEO Martyn Phillips explained the appointment in a press release:
“Geraint has impressed everyone since his return to Welsh rugby last year. His ten years away from Wales have benefited him hugely exposing him to high performance environments, World Cups, the Sevens circuit, and working with governing bodies and World Rugby. More importantly he is a natural collaborator and relationships builder. I’m in no doubt that he will be a catalyst for greater alignment and common purpose in the professional game in Wales.”
