The WRU have made a key appointment as a familiar face returns to Welsh rugby
Rhys Long, right, with Warren Gatland (Image: Getty Images)
One of English football’s leading analysts, Rhys Long, has been appointed as the Welsh Rugby Union’s new technical director.
Long joins Welsh rugby from the role of Head of Performance Analysis and Technical Insights at the Football Association and brings over 20 years of experience at the highest level in sport.
A former Head of Analysis at the WRU under Warren Gatland between 2007 and 2016, a period which saw two Grand Slams, a Six Nations Championship title and a Rugby World Cup semi-final appearance for Wales senior men’s squad, Long has also worked on two British & Irish Lions tours (2009 and 2013).
His new job comes with a salary of up to £160,000 a year and he will report directly to elite performance director Dave Reddin. The job was first advertised at the end of last year, with interviews taking place in January.
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Originally from Porthcawl, Long has built a cv which spans early experience in elite analysis to his current role as a senior strategist and innovator supporting senior England football managers including Gareth Southgate and Thomas Tuchel, and supporting the development of world leading player development pathways in football.
“This is an important time to join Welsh rugby, we are in a period of transition but bold steps towards a successful future have already been taken,” he said.
“Working at the highest levels of performance and talent development in football has enhanced my perspective on elite standards in sport, on how winning environments are built, and what it takes to sustain them.
“This blend of Welsh system knowledge and performance leadership will help me to shape a uniquely Welsh performance model and DNA, as the department seeks to re-establish clear standards and a winning mentality across Welsh rugby.”
As the new Technical Director, Long will be responsible for designing and delivering integrated performance strategies across men’s and women’s pathways, operating across technical and performance environments.
He will assist in the development of a comprehensive elite rugby strategy, support the development of ‘winning’ models for national and professional club teams aligning resources and philosophies and installing a Welsh rugby ‘DNA’ across all departments.
Elite coach recruitment and succession planning across the national coaching pathways, talent and insight management and match officials will all also fall under his remit.
“I’m delighted to have secured Rhys’s appointment,” said Reddin.
“He is a great example of an expert, very much made in Wales and in rugby, who has gone on to develop himself by experiencing different environments and perspectives and to become greatly respected at the very top of world sport.
“He will play a key role in defining and embedding a Welsh rugby DNA in the principles of how we play, coach and our Welsh identity across both our men’s and women’s pathways and senior teams.
“His background in Rugby and his experiences in supporting and developing world class talent identification, development and performance insight will help support our ambition of creating a unique system to take Welsh Rugby back to the top echelons of the world game.
“As a passionate Welshman, Rhys is emotionally invested in the journey we are on and brings a unique combination of skills and experiences which I believe will significantly enhance our capability, capacity and connection across the Welsh rugby system.”