Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
Fresh off announcing a new home and a new nickname, New York have now identified their new coaching staff for the 2023 Major League Rugby season. The defending champions will be led by former Utah Warriors player-coach James Semple with ex-All Blacks prop Ben Afeaki named Forwards Coach.
Semple, who turns 33 in January, played for the Warriors in 2019 as a flyhalf or fullback having previously played for Counties Manukau, North Harbour, and Romanian side Farul Constanta. He returned to New Zealand the following year to take up a Head Coach role with the Waikato Women’s provincial side, winning the Farah Palmer Cup in 2021.
This past year Semple was an Assistant Coach for the Blues Women in Super Rugby Aupiki. He takes over the Head Coach role from Marty Veale, who was recently announced as the new Head Coach of provincial outfit Northland in the Bunnings NPC.
Afeaki retired as a professional player in 2014 due to long-term concussion symptoms, having only just made his test debut for New Zealand the year before. In 2017 he was named Scrum Coach for the Blues Men’s Super Rugby side which he held until this year. He celebrates his 35th birthday in January.
Three other names familiar to New York are on the coaching team. Retired scrumhalf Andy Ellis returns as a technical advisor, with Ollie Richardson continuing as Head of High Performance. Stephen Lewis adds Coaching Coordinator to his varying list of titles with the side.
