Wayne Pivac

Last updated

Wayne Pivac
Full nameWayne Jeffrey Pivac
Date of birth (1962-09-10) 10 September 1962 (age 62)
Place of birth Auckland, New Zealand
School Westlake Boys High School
Rugby union career
Position(s) Lock, Flanker, Number 8
Senior career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
1985–1987 North Harbour 24 (8)
Correct as of 05 December 2022
Coaching career
YearsTeam
1997–1998 Northland
1999–2003 Auckland
2004–2007 Fiji
2007–2008 North Harbour
2012–2013 Auckland
2014–2019 Scarlets
2019–2022 Wales
2023– NEC Green Rockets Tokatsu
Correct as of 25 August 2023

Wayne Pivac (born 1962) is a New Zealand rugby union coach who is the head coach of the NEC Green Rockets Tokatsu who play in the Japan Rugby League One. [1] In November 2019 he replaced Warren Gatland as the Wales national team coach and remained in this position until 2022. [2]

Contents

A former sworn officer in the New Zealand Police, he was a constable at the Takapuna police station on Auckland's North Shore. He played his early rugby at Rosmini College and then Westlake Boys High School. Pivac played senior rugby for both the Northcote and Takapuna rugby clubs. Pivac played for North Harbour Rugby Union while he was a policeman. A recurring knee injury forced Pivac to retire from playing rugby at the age of 28. In 2012 Pivac was named at flanker in the Westlake Boys High school 50 year anniversary greatest First XV.

New Zealand and Fiji

Pivac began coaching at Takapuna RFC, guiding them to the 1994 North Harbour club premiership [3] before spending two seasons with North Harbour's second XV, then Northland, the province his father represented. Pivac coached Northland to National Provincial Championship Second Division success in 1997 and earned them promotion to the First Division the following year. Pivac then coached Auckland to win the NPC in 2002 and again in 2003, as well as the Ranfurly Shield. [4] Pivac was voted New Zealand Rugby Union Coach of the Year in 2003. [5]

Pivac was hired by the Fiji Rugby Union in February 2004 to replace coach Mac McCallion. Fiji won the Pacific Tri-Nations in Pivac's first year as head coach and Pivac also helped coach the Fijian Sevens to win the 2005 Rugby World Cup Sevens. [6] In January 2007, Pivac quit Fiji Rugby as the head coach, citing family commitments. [7]

Following his move back to New Zealand from Fiji, Pivac was appointed coach of North Harbour in the same month. [8] After a disappointing season with North Harbour, Pivac stepped down as coach in 2008 and was replaced by Craig Dowd and Jeff Wilson, [9] who were also replaced the next year after a further disappointing season. In 2011, Pivac succeeded Mark Anscombe as the Auckland coach in the ITM Cup. [10]

Wales

In 2014, Pivac was appointed the Assistant Coach of the Scarlets, who play out of the Parc y Scarlets stadium in Llanelli, Wales. [11] Having initially been taken on to work with the forwards, Pivac was then promoted to the Scarlets' head coach following the departure of Simon Easterby to Ireland. [12] Pivac then steered his side to a PRO12 title in Dublin, Ireland, defeating Munster in a 46-22 six-try victory at the Aviva Stadium to secure their first major trophy for 13 years in May, 2017. [13]

On 9 July 2018, it was announced that Pivac would succeed Warren Gatland as the Wales coach. He would remain as Scarlets coach for the next year and employed on a four-year contract by the WRU from July 2019, with a transition planned for after the 2023 Rugby World Cup. [2]

His first game in charge of Wales was a non-international match against the Barbarians, on 30 November 2019, in the Principality Stadium. Wales won the match 43–33.

In February 2020, in his first Six Nations match as head coach, Wales beat Italy 42–0 in Cardiff. [14] Wales finished the 2020 Six Nations Championship in 5th place.

On 13 February 2021, Pivac won his first silverware for Wales, beating Scotland 25–24 in Round 2 of the 2021 Six Nations Championship, where Wales won the Doddie Weir Cup. The following round Wales got their highest ever points total vs England, beating them 40-24 and winning the Triple Crown. On March 26, Wales were crowned champions of the Six Nations after winning 4 out of their 5 matches.

After the false dawn, Pivac saw his worst run yet in the 2022 Six Nations, finishing 5th. The most notable moment during the campaign was when his side were defeated by Italy at the Millennium Stadium; Italy's first win in the 6 Nations since 2015 and their first ever win in Cardiff. After further home defeats in the autumn internationals to Georgia and Australia, Pivac was let go by the WRU in December 2022 and replaced by his predecessor Warren Gatland. [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wales national rugby union team</span> National rugby team

The Wales national rugby union team represents Wales in men's international rugby union. Its governing body, the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU), was established in 1881, the same year that Wales played their first international against England. The team plays its home matches at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, which replaced Cardiff Arms Park as the national stadium of Wales in 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scarlets</span> Rugby team based in Llanelli, Wales

The Scarlets are one of the four professional Welsh rugby union teams and are based in Llanelli, Wales. Their home ground is the Parc y Scarlets stadium. They play in the United Rugby Championship and in European Professional Club Rugby competitions. The club was originally named the Llanelli Scarlets but was renamed at the start of the 2008–09 rugby season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dwayne Peel</span> Former Welsh rugby union player

Dwayne John Peel is a Welsh rugby union coach and former player. He was the most capped scrum-half for the Wales national rugby union team with 76 caps, until his record was surpassed by Mike Phillips on 16 March 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warren Gatland</span> Wales rugby union coach

Warren David Gatland is a New Zealand rugby union coach and former player who is the head coach of the Wales national team.

Robin Currie McBryde, is a rugby union former player and coach. He gained 37 caps for Wales. He played hooker.

Mark Anthony Jones is a Welsh professional rugby union coach and former player who played as a wing for the Scarlets and Wales. Since making his international debut for Wales in 2001, he won 47 caps and scored 13 tries. He is currently head coach of the Ospreys.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ken Owens</span> Welsh rugby player

Kenneth James Owens is a former Welsh rugby union player who played as a hooker for the Scarlets and Wales. He made his debut for the Scarlets in 2006, taking over from Matthew Rees as their first-choice hooker upon Rees' departure for the Cardiff Blues in 2013. He also served as backup to Rees, among others, for Wales following his debut against Namibia at the 2011 Rugby World Cup. In 2016, he took over as Wales' first-choice hooker, and in January 2023, following almost a year out with a back injury, he was named as captain for the 2023 Six Nations Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhys Priestland</span> Welsh rugby union player

Rhys Priestland is a Welsh international rugby union player who plays as a fly-half for Cardiff Rugby and the Wales national team. Although he primarily plays as a fly-half, he is also capable of playing at full-back. Born in Llangathen, Carmarthenshire, he began his career with Llanelli RFC before progressing to the Scarlets regional side. After eight years with the Scarlets, he moved to England to play for Bath in the English Premiership, where he spent six seasons before returning to Wales with Cardiff Rugby. He made his Wales debut in 2011, and earned 50 caps – including being named in the squad for the 2011 and 2015 Rugby World Cups – before his move to England made him ineligible for selection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhys Webb</span> British Lions & Wales international rugby union footballer

Rhys Webb is a Welsh rugby union player who plays as a scrum-half. Born in Bridgend, he is a product of the Ospreys academy and played club rugby for Bridgend and Aberavon before breaking into the regional side in 2008. He played for the Ospreys for 10 years before moving to French club Toulon in 2018, but terminated his contract with them in 2020 and agreed a return to the Ospreys; however, he was unable to join the Ospreys immediately and signed for Bath for the remainder of the 2019–20 season before returning to the Ospreys.

Robert McCusker is a Welsh former rugby union player, who played across the back row. McCusker began his career with the Scarlets, and also played for London Irish and the Ospreys before retiring. McCusker also played internationally for Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leigh Halfpenny</span> Wales and British Lions international rugby union player

Stephen Leigh Halfpenny is a Welsh rugby union player who plays as a fullback or wing for Harlequins in the English Premiership. Halfpenny is the third highest points scorer for Wales after Neil Jenkins and Stephen Jones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George North</span> Wales and British Lions international rugby union player (born 1992)

George Philip North is a professional rugby union player who plays as a centre for Pro D2 club Provence Rugby. Born in England, he represents Wales at international level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gareth Davies (rugby union, born 1990)</span> Welsh rugby union player

David Gareth Davies is a Welsh professional rugby union player who plays as a scrum-half for United Rugby Championship club Scarlets and has represented the Wales national team.

Hadleigh William Parkes is a New Zealand-born Welsh international rugby union player, whose favoured position is at the centre. He currently plays for the Black Rams Tokyo in the Japan Rugby League One. Parkes also has a successful BBC sport rugby union column.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wyn Jones (rugby union)</span> British Lions & Wales international rugby union player

Wyn Jones is a Welsh rugby union player who plays prop for Harlequins.

The 2016 Wales rugby union tour of New Zealand was a rugby union tour of New Zealand by the Wales national team in June 2016. The tour saw the Welsh side play four matches: three test matches against New Zealand and one match against the Chiefs of Super Rugby.

Aaron James Wainwright is a Welsh professional rugby union player who plays as a number eight for United Rugby Championship club Dragons and the Wales national team.

The 2019 Six Nations Championship was the 20th Six Nations Championship, the annual rugby union competition contested by the national teams of England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, and Wales, and the 125th edition of the competition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jac Morgan</span> Welsh rugby union player

Jac Morgan is a Welsh rugby union player, who plays in the backrow for the Ospreys and Wales. He is the current captain of the Wales national rugby union team.

Sam Costelow is a Welsh professional rugby union player who plays as a fly-half for United Rugby Championship club Scarlets and the Wales national team.

References

  1. ↑ "Wayne Pivac lands new job less than a year after Wales sacking". Wales Online. 25 August 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  2. 1 2 "Wayne Pivac: Scarlets chief to succeed Warren Gatland as Wales coach". BBC Sport. 9 July 2018. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  3. ↑ "Pivac has All Black aims as overseas job beckons". NZ Herald. 1 November 2003. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  4. ↑ "Pivac to coach Fiji at World Cup". BBC. 26 August 2006. Retrieved 19 January 2007.
  5. ↑ "Head Coach". Scarlets. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  6. ↑ "History". Fiji Rugby. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  7. ↑ "Pivac resigns as Fiji rugby coach". CNN. 19 January 2007. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  8. ↑ "North Harbour sign Pivac as coach". NZ Herald. 24 January 2007. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  9. ↑ "Jeff Wilson to coach North Harbour". Otago Daily Times. 28 October 2008. Retrieved 2 December 2011.
  10. ↑ "Pivac Named New Auckland Coach". Rugby News. 16 November 2011. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  11. ↑ "Newsroom | Welsh Rugby Union". Welsh Rugby Union. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  12. ↑ "Scarlets confirm Wayne Pivac appointment as head coach". BBC. 12 August 2014. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  13. ↑ "Scarlets boss Wayne Pivac insists Wales are capable of copying his side's expansive attacking blueprint". Wales Online. 27 May 2017. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  14. ↑ "Wayne Pivac: Six Nations 2020: Josh Adams hat-trick helps Wales thrash Italy". BBC Sport. 1 February 2020. Retrieved 4 February 2020.
  15. ↑ "Wales head coach Wayne Pivac replaced by Warren Gatland". BBC Sport. 5 December 2022. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
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.