GERAINT John has taken up the new role of WRU elite coach development manager having arrived in Wales last week.

John, 53, was educated at Sir Thomas Picton School, Haverfordwest where he was capped at outside half by the Welsh Schools, he played his youth rugby with Haverfordwest RFC, and also played for Pembrokeshire County at every age group level with the highlight leading the senior County XV to victories over Japan and USA in the 1980s. He played his senior rugby with Cardiff RFC for at least a decade and also coached the team from the capital alongside Dai Young.

John was at the WRU rugby department’s strategy day at the Millennium Stadium and the former Wales A, Canada and Australia Sevens head coach is enthusiastic and optimistic about the task ahead.

“It’s good to be back and I’m very pleased to have the opportunity to work for this organisation again. I’m now keen to get out there and meet fellow coaches within the Regions, throughout Wales and beyond.

“We need coaches to improve players but we also need to develop good coaches and if I can create good relationships with our regional and Premiership coaches, and help them with some ideas and support, hopefully we will be successful.

“There’s clearly a lot going on at the moment at all levels of the game, but my ultimate aim will be to develop Welsh coaches who can throw their hat in the ring the next time we need to appoint a National Coach.

“We want Welsh coaches to be revered around the world, for there to be an understanding that we produce good quality coaches who can make a difference to their team, in the same way that coaches from New Zealand are looked at.

“We have two Welsh coaches at the Ospreys, Danny Wilson at the Blues who has come through the Welsh set-up, Stephen Jones has returned to the Scarlets, Kingsley Jones and Lyn are at the Dragons; we have National Academy coaches and some Welsh coaches outside Wales such as Dai Young at Wasps so there is a lot of potential and knowledge out there and as coaches we all want to improve so hopefully we can pull in the right direction.”