Pete Wilkins

Last updated

Peter Wilkins (born 5 September 1979) is an English rugby union coach. He is currently Head Coach of Irish provincial team Connacht Rugby in the United Rugby Championship competition. [1] He was previously Senior Coach and Attack Coach at Connacht Rugby [2] in the Guinness Pro14, Assistant Coach of Edinburgh Rugby, also in the Guinness Pro14, and Assistant Coach of the Queensland Reds in the Super Rugby competition. Prior to this, he held roles as Head Performance Analyst of the Queensland Reds, Head Coach of Queensland Reds A, and Coaching Coordinator of Queensland Country in the Australian National Rugby Championship.

Contents

Early life

Born in London, Wilkins grew up in the Hampshire city of Winchester, attending Christ's Hospital School as a boarder and captaining the school's rugby and cricket teams, as well as Sussex Schools Rugby representative age grades. In 1997, he relocated to Australia to play colts rugby for Eastern Suburbs RUFC, before returning to the UK to study Geography at Durham University.

Community Rugby

In 2007, Wilkins returned to Australia to work for the Queensland Rugby Union as their Regional Rugby Manager for North Queensland and Central Queensland, where he oversaw rugby development and coach education across the region's rugby communities. [3] This role later expanded to include the areas of South East Queensland outside of Brisbane. Wilkins progressed to the role of Head of Coach Education for the Queensland Rugby Union, overseeing and delivering coach accreditation courses across the state. During this time he also gained coaching experience at the community level with North Ward Old Boys Rugby Union Club in the Townsville and Districts Rugby Union competition, and Easts Tigers Rugby Union and GPS Rugby [4] in Queensland Premier Rugby. Wilkins has maintained his links to the community game and is regularly involved in providing ongoing education for grassroots coaches and players. [5]

Professional Coaching Career

2011-2015

In 2011, Wilkins joined the Queensland Reds high performance department as a Performance Analyst, the same year the team won the Super 15 Final. He was promoted to Head of Performance Analysis later that year, before becoming Skills Coach in 2013, and Defence Coach in 2015. [6] During this time, Wilkins was also Head Coach of the Reds Wider Training Squad, [7] Coaching Coordinator of Queensland Country in 2014's inaugural Australian National Rugby Championship, [8] and Head Coach of the Queensland Reds A team for three seasons. Leading Queensland Reds A in the Pacific Rugby Cup, now known as the World Rugby Pacific Challenge, the team enjoyed unbeaten seasons in 2013 and 2015, and were beaten finalists in 2014 against Argentina A. [9] [10]

2015-2017

At the conclusion of the 2015 Super Rugby season, Wilkins accepted the role of Assistant Coach with Edinburgh Rugby in the Guinness Pro12 competition, [11] arriving on a one-year contract and later that season renewing for another two years [12] on the back of significant improvements in Edinburgh's defence. [13] When Head Coach Alan Solomons departed his role during the 2016–17 Pro12 season, Wilkins remained to coach the team along with interim Head Coach Duncan Hodge, and Forwards Coach Stevie Scott. [14]

2017-2022

Wilkins joined Connacht Rugby as Assistant Coach for the start of the 2017–18 Pro14 season, arriving on a two-year contract to work under newly appointed Head Coach Kieran Keane. [15] When Keane left the club at the end of his first season, Wilkins remained to continue his role under new Head Coach Andy Friend. [16] During the 2018–19 Pro14 season, Wilkins extended his contract for another two seasons with Connacht. [17] In April 2021, Wilkins was promoted to the role of Senior Coach with Connacht Rugby, with primary responsibility for the team's attack. [18] He has described his attack coaching philosophy as favouring an unstructured style of play based on key attacking principles, [19] and the importance of building an emotional connection to the team's style of play. [20]

2022-Present

In June 2022, Ireland Head Coach Andy Farrell announced the inclusion of Wilkins as an Assistant Coach for Ireland's summer tour to New Zealand, including a three test series against the All Blacks and two mid-week games against New Zealand Maori. [21] On his return from Ireland's series win, [22] [23] Wilkins was promoted to the position of Connacht Head Coach, with Andy Friend moving to a new Director of Rugby role. [24] When Friend later announced he would be leaving Connacht at the conclusion of the 2022-23 season, [25] it was confirmed that Wilkins would assume overall responsibility for the professional team, signing a three-year contract as Head Coach. [26] He would combine this new role with a return to coaching the team's attack. [27]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ulster Rugby</span> Rugby union team in island of Ireland

Ulster Rugby is one of the four professional provincial rugby union teams from the island of Ireland. They compete in the Irish regional pool of the United Rugby Championship and in the European Rugby Champions Cup, each of which they have won once. Ulster were the first Irish team and the first team outside England and France to win the European Cup in 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Connacht Rugby</span> Rugby team in Ireland

Connacht Rugby is one of the four professional provincial rugby teams from the island of Ireland. Connacht competes in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup. The team represents the IRFU Connacht Branch, which is one of four primary branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for rugby union throughout the geographical Irish province of Connacht.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Muldoon (rugby union, born 1982)</span> Irish rugby union coach and player

John Muldoon is an Irish rugby union coach and former player. He is currently the Lineout & Maul coach for Connacht.

Dan McFarland is an English rugby union coach and former player. He was head coach of Ulster Rugby from 2018 to 2024.

The 2016–17 Pro12 was the sixteenth season of the professional rugby union competition originally known as the Celtic League, and the seventh with a four-country format. It was the third season to be referred to as the Guinness Pro12.

Alex Wootton is an Irish rugby union player for Connacht in the United Rugby Championship and European Rugby Champions Cup. He plays primarily as a wing, but can also play as a fullback.

The 2017–18 PRO14 was the seventeenth season of the professional rugby union competition originally known as the Celtic League. It is the first season to be referred to as the Guinness PRO14 Championship, with the addition of two South African teams.

Nigel Carolan is a rugby union coach from Ireland. He is currently the Assistant coach to Scottish United Rugby Championship side Glasgow Warriors. He was previously a Backs coach at Connacht. Before becoming a coach Carolan represented Connacht as a player, but was forced to retire due to injury in 2000.

The 2017–18 season was Irish provincial rugby union side Connacht Rugby's seventeenth season competing in the Pro14, and the team's twenty-second season as a professional side. It was Kieran Keane's first and only season in charge of the side.

The 2018–19 Pro14 is the eighteenth season of the professional rugby union competition originally known as the Celtic League. It was the second season to be referred to as the Pro14.

The 2018–19 season was Irish provincial rugby union side Connacht Rugby's eighteenth season competing in the Pro14, and the team's twenty-third season as a professional side. It was Andy Friend's first season in charge of the side.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom O'Toole (rugby union)</span> Irish rugby union player

Thomas Niall O'Toole is an Irish professional rugby union player who plays as a prop for United Rugby Championship club Ulster and the Ireland national team.

The 2019–20 PRO14 was the nineteenth season of the professional rugby union competition originally known as the Celtic League. It was the third season to be referred to as the PRO14.

The 2019–20 Munster Rugby season was Munster's nineteenth season competing in the Pro14, alongside which they also competed in the European Rugby Champions Cup. It was Johann van Graan's third season as head coach.

The 2019–20 season was Irish provincial rugby union side Connacht Rugby's nineteenth season competing in the Pro14, and the team's twenty-fourth season as a professional side. It was Andy Friend's second season in charge of the side.

The 2020–21 Munster Rugby season was Munster's twentieth season competing in the Pro14, alongside which they also competed in the European Rugby Champions Cup. It was Johann van Graan's fourth season as head coach.

The 2020–21 season was Irish provincial rugby union side Connacht Rugby's twentieth season competing in the Pro14, and the team's twenty-fifth season as a professional side. It was Andy Friend's third season in charge of the side.

Cian Prendergast is an Irish professional rugby union player who plays as a flanker for United Rugby Championship club Connacht and the Ireland national team.

The 2019–20 season was Ulster's 26th season since the advent of professionalism in rugby union, and Dan McFarland's second season as head coach. Lock Iain Henderson was named captain in place of retired hooker Rory Best. They competed in the Pro14 and the European Rugby Champions Cup. Both competitions were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, he later stages being played in August, September and October 2020. In the Pro14, Ulster finished second in Conference A, making the playoffs and qualifying for next season's Champions Cup. They beat Edinburgh in the semi-final, but lost to Leinster in the final. They finished second in Pool 3 in the Champions Cup, qualifying for the quarter-finals, where they were beaten by Toulouse.

The 2018–19 season was Ulster's 25th season since the advent of professionalism in rugby union, and Dan McFarland's first season as head coach. Rory Best was captain. They competed in the Pro14, making the semi-finals, and the European Rugby Champions Cup, making the quarter-finals.

References

  1. ↑ "Connacht Rugby | Connacht Rugby Announces New Coaching Team". Connacht Rugby. 1 April 2021. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  2. ↑ Kinsella, Murray. "'Our catchphrase is, 'There's always a solution until someone stops working". The42. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  3. ↑ "Rugby ready to bounce back". Daily Mercury. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  4. ↑ "GPS Rugby Annual Report 2013" (PDF).
  5. ↑ "Defence guru Wilkins to share his expertise". independent. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  6. ↑ "Hunt for solution awaits Graham". www.couriermail.com.au. 7 February 2015. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  7. ↑ "The Queensland Reds in 2014". Green and Gold Rugby. 12 February 2014. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  8. ↑ "Queensland Country name 35-man NRC squad". The Roar. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  9. ↑ "Reds A v Japan in Reds curtainraiser – Sanzar". super.rugby. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  10. ↑ "Pacific Rugby Cup: Pampas Lift Title With Final Win Over Reds A". Rugby News. 23 March 2014. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  11. ↑ "Solomons expects all-Edinburgh front row for Scots". www.scotsman.com. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  12. ↑ "Edinburgh coach trio extend contracts". BBC Sport. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  13. ↑ Palmer, Mark. "Case for defence". The Times . ISSN   0140-0460 . Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  14. ↑ "Edinburgh head coach Alan Solomons resigns". ESPN.com. 28 September 2016. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  15. ↑ Waldron, Alan. "Connacht appoint former Queensland Reds and Edinburgh defence coach". The42. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  16. ↑ Thornley, Gerry. "Gerry Thornley: Kieran Keane didn't get enough time with Connacht". The Irish Times. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  17. ↑ "Connacht Rugby | Head Coach Andy Friend confirms Connacht coaching team for next two seasons". Connacht Rugby. 22 January 2019. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  18. ↑ "Lawler And Tucker Join Connacht Coaching Team". Irish Rugby. 1 April 2021. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  19. ↑ Thornley, Gerry. "How Toulouse lit a spark in Peter Wilkins and rekindled his love for rugby". The Irish Times. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  20. ↑ Treacy, Neil (30 November 2021). "Connacht freeing themselves from 'emotional yo-yo'".{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  21. ↑ Kennedy, Ciarán. "Andy Farrell includes 5 uncapped players in 40-man Ireland squad to tour New Zealand". The42. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  22. ↑ Kinsella, Murray. "Kieran Treadwell's stock rises for Ireland in excellent win over the Māori". The42. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  23. ↑ World, Rugby (16 July 2022). "Epic Ireland series win in New Zealand". Rugby World. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  24. ↑ "Irish Rugby | Connacht Announce Structural Changes To Coaching Team" . Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  25. ↑ "Andy Friend to leave Connacht at the end of the season". The Irish Times. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  26. ↑ "Irish Rugby | Pete Wilkins Appointed Connacht Rugby Head Coach" . Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  27. ↑ "Sexton to join Connacht as assistant attack coach". www.rugbypass.com. 15 May 2023. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.