Wales appoint Steve Tandy as new head coach
The 45-year-old Welshman will become the permanent successor to Warren Gatland on September 1 following almost six years as Scotland's defence coach.
Advertisement
Tandy is tasked with reviving his country's fortunes after their record 18-match losing run finally ended on July 12th with a 31-22 victory over Japan in Kobe.
His first match in charge will be on Sunday, November 9 against Argentina in Cardiff, which will be followed by meetings with Japan, New Zealand and world champions South Africa on the following three weekends.
🚨 𝘾𝙧𝙤𝙚𝙨𝙤 𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙫𝙚 𝙏𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙮 🏴
The WRU is delighted to announce the appointment of Steve Tandy as the new Head Coach of the men's senior national side. 🤝
#CymruAmByth
— Welsh Rugby Union 🏴 (@WelshRugbyUnion)
July 21, 2025
'Becoming head coach of my home country is a massive honour and a privilege,' said Tandy, who will lead Wales into the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.
'I am looking forward to playing a role in the rebuilding phase of Welsh rugby and taking the national team back to competing with the best countries in the world.
Advertisement
'I am excited about the potential of Welsh rugby and the group of young, hardworking players we have.'
Gatland's second spell as Wales boss ended in February on the back of a 22-15 defeat to Italy in the second round of this year's Six Nations.
Matt Sherratt took over on a temporary basis and oversaw defeats to Ireland, Scotland and England before leading this summer's two-match tour of Japan, which began on July 5 with a 24-19 loss in Kitakyushu.
Matt Sherratt guided Wales on a temporary basis (Jane Barlow/PA)
Tonmawr-born Tandy was head coach of Ospreys between 2012 and 2018, which included winning the PRO12 title in his first season, before serving as defence coach for Australian side the Waratahs.
Advertisement
The former flanker was also part of Gatland's backroom staff for the British and Irish Lions' tour of South Africa in 2021.
Welsh Rugby Union chief executive Abi Tierney said: 'After a thorough and detailed appointment process, Steve emerged as the standout candidate, and we know we have secured the very best coach for the job.
'This is a keystone appointment for us and an integral part of our five-year strategy as we look to achieve sustainable success for our senior men's side.
'Steve fits the bill in terms of the affinity he will be able to create with a young group of players with huge potential, but also the galvanising effect we know he can have on the whole rugby ecosystem as a proud Welshman .
Advertisement
'Our task now is to ensure Steve has the support and resources he needs to succeed in this role.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
22 minutes ago
- BBC News
Swansea beaten by Cheltenham
Swansea City lost 2-1 away to Mike Flynn's Cheltenham Town in their latest pre-season friendly on Wednesday hosts went ahead early in the second half but Swansea levelled when a Cheltenham player conceded an own goal from Josh Tymon's the League Two side secured the victory during the final 10 minutes with Lee Angol scoring for the hosts.
The Sun
22 minutes ago
- The Sun
Win free kit for your kids' football team courtesy of Octopus Energy in our brilliant competition
FANCY getting your kids' footie team kitted out for the new season? The Sun has teamed up with Octopus Energy to offer 100 teams across the UK a FREE set of football strips including shirts, shorts and goalie kits. There are 1,000 Octopus-sponsored kits up for grabs and the 100 selected teams will be able to choose from 13 kit options in different colourways. Apply by midnight on July 31 and the kits will be ready for the new season in September. Open to teams serving children aged 16 and below, you just need to enter the code SUNOCTOKIT, tell us your team name, age group and contact details. The energy firm started its Kits For Kids drive last year and gave away 27,000 strips to clubs around the country. The costs of kits is one of the biggest outlays for grassroots clubs, with average prices for strips costing £250-£300 in total. After seeing huge demand for its original campaign, Octopus has teamed up with us to offer a special batch of strips just for Sun readers. Rebecca Dibb-Simkin, chief product officer at Octopus Energy, said: 'We've decked out more than 27,000 kids in free Octopus Kits, and we're delighted to extend an exclusive offer to Sun readers with an extra 1,000 strips. 'With opportunities for grassroots teams to win more goodies and awesome prizes, we can't wait to see the next generation of stars dazzle their opponents in their new Octokits.' Here we meet some of the teams who benefitted last year. Footie hero backs campaign to give grassroots football teams free kits - here's how to get your freebies SAVING SOULS FC 3 SAVING Souls established a football team for young women and girls in Lewisham, South East London, in 2024 with the aim of creating a community, combating isolation and helping mental health. A Savings Souls men's team launched in 2022 but founder Kerry Phillips, 38, wanted to set up a women's team, too. He said: 'Thanks to the Octopus kit we have now been able to realise our dream of establishing a women and girls' team because our funds go much further as the kit costs are covered. 'Before then, our ambitions were limited by resources. 'We chose bright yellow shirts and black shorts because we want women's football to shine bright.' Saving Souls goes beyond football. At the end of every session there is a circle where the players can chat and older girls can mentor younger girls. Club captain Nevaeh Phillips said: 'Our new kit really gives us our own identity, separate from the boys' team. 'It's vibrant and unique, and it will help us stand out, attracting more girls and young women.' POOLE TOWN FC WESSEX 3 POOLE Town FC Wessex began in 1989 with just one team. Today they have grown to 29 teams providing football for 400 local children. The club is also linked to the Poole Town Kids Initiative, which provides free football sessions for youngsters across the area. Alex Crabb, coach at Poole Town FC Wessex Under-8s, said: 'Football clubs unite all people from different cultures and backgrounds and bring them together with a shared passion. 'By having access to initiatives like this, it's enabled the children to feel proud to be part of a team and learn social and sporting skills.' Austin Smyth, one of the players with the Under-8s, said: 'I love the kit, especially the bright, cool colour of it. 'I've been wearing it to the park, around the house and to school on special days.' ALMONDSBURY UTD FC, GLOUCS 3 THE Gloucestershire team has been a powerhouse for youth football since it was established in 1969. With more than 300 kids playing each week, plus a men's team, the Under-11s side were the lucky winners of the Octokits. Coach Matthew Jackson, 41, said: 'The free Almondsbury Utd kit is a dream come true. 'The vibrant colour is eye-catching, and the quality is top-notch. 'Plus, the iconic club crest adds the perfect finishing touch. 'The kids love it and they all feel like they've won a competition.' Club player Lana-Jane Roberts, 11, said: 'Thank you Octopus Energy for supporting Almondsbury United FC in making us a kit. 'I love how the blue, pink and white looks. 'I really feel it makes us look like a professional team. 'Thank you so much for choosing us.' HOW TO ENTER SCAN the QR code above or go to Enter the code SUNOCTOKIT. Then tell us your name, email address, phone number, team name and its age group. Applicants must be 18 or over and resident in England, Scotland or Wales and be a reader of The Sun newspaper to be eligible to apply on behalf of the football team. One hundred teams will be chosen at random. Entries close at midnight on July 31. Promotion closes at midnight on July 31, 2025. Open to residents of England, Scotland and Wales aged 18 or older, excluding employees/agents of Octopus Energy Ltd or News Group Newspapers Ltd. One entry pp. Nominated teams must not have a shirt sponsor and must consist of players under 16, with the exception of mixed-age teams that include children under 16. Winners selected at random and notified on August 1, 2025. No cash alternative. and prize non-transferable. Your info will be used to administer this promotion and otherwise. For full T&Cs, see
Daily Mail
22 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Liam Dawson brings control to England's attack - here's how he can put himself right in the Ashes mix, writes NASSER HUSSAIN
We used to have a saying in selection: Pick on character. And I think Liam Dawson has got an abundance of character. He would have been nervous yesterday because you're always a better player when you're out of the side. To come into the team mid-series is not easy, especially when you have been out of it for eight years and a lot of people have been calling for your return. However much he says he is just taking everything as a bonus at his age, it is still playing for England in an iconic series, that the country is taking about and that's started to kick off. So when you're suddenly brought in, you will feel the heat and you have to perform. And he certainly did that yesterday. Dawson is the polar opposite to the man he has replaced, Shoaib Bashir. He is a veteran left-arm spinner with 15 five-wicket hauls in first-class cricket and knows his game inside out. He is the finished article. Bashir, meanwhile, is a young right arm off-spinner who was plucked from nowhere from a social media feed because he has a high release point. What Dawson brings to this England team is control, which Bashir is still seeking and looking for. On the first day at Old Trafford, when it's not spinning a lot, you need to offer your team and your captain that control so that he can rotate the seamers at the other end. Dawson did that beautifully. India's run rate dropped in the second session because of his control. Bashir gets more over spin, drop and bounce because he is taller than Dawson and has that high release point. If you think of Bashir's wicket to win the Test at Lord's, the ball span back and rolled on to Mohammed Siraj's stumps because it bounced up on him. Dawson, with his lower action, may struggle to get that. But he is more accurate and challenges the pad of the right hander, as well as the outside edge of the left hander from that rough and with the drift that he gets. We saw that with his wicket of Yashasvi Jaiswal. Because Dawson is landing it in the rough all the time, Jaiswal didn't know if it was going to spin or not, and his natural variation and drift meant he took the outside edge and it carried to Harry Brook at first was also very good captaincy from Ben Stokes. Jaiswal is a fine player of spin, as Tom Hartley found out in India. But Stokes put a deep point in, which may have made Jaiswal push at the ball and open the blade, trying to get a single to the boundary. What Dawson also has in his favour over Bashir, and another left-arm spinner Jack Leach, is that he is a multi-dimensional cricketer. He is very good in the field and a very good No8. With Dawson batting at eight, Chris Woakes at nine, Brydon Carse at 10 and Jofra Archer at 11, that is suddenly a very good lower order, which is going to be needed not only in the rest of this series, but also in Australia in the winter. My former England coach Duncan Fletcher always wanted complete cricketers in his team. We had to move on from Phil Tufnell, who was a wonderful left-arm spinner and I absolutely loved captaining, because he didn't bat and didn't field, and we picked Ashley Giles, who was very good at gully and got you useful runs. If Dawson has two really good games against India, the debate will be about whether he should become England's No1 spinner and play against Australia. But that's for another time. He's had one good day and he's got one wicket – but he did his role and that's all you can ask of anyone you bring into your team.
