BATH HAVE CONFIRMED that current Munster head coach Johann van Graan has signed for the English club.
Van Graan will join Bath as head coach ahead of next season on what the Premiership side say is a “long-term contract.”
Yesterday, Munster had confirmed that van Graan would leave the province next summer.
The42 understands that van Graan had actually signed a new two-year contract with Munster and the IRFU last summer.
However, van Graan has now invoked the six-month release clause that Rassie Erasmus previously used to leave Munster for South Africa and that Pat Lam triggered to depart Connacht to join Bristol.
The42 understands that Bath’s strong offer proved hard for van Graan to ignore but it is also thought that the South African had certain frustrations behind the scenes at Munster in recent months.
The province has benefited from generous private investment from a group of wealthy individuals known as ‘The 1014′ in recent seasons, particularly in signing Springbok World Cup winners Damian de Allende and RG Snyman – both of whom are now also expected to leave at the end of this season.
However, it’s thought that van Graan has had issues with the level of influence that the same private investors have been exerting within the province.
Munster CEO Ian Flanagan, who joined in 2019, is part of the province’s Professional Game Committee [PGC] along with the likes of former players John Kelly and Mick O’Driscoll, as well as van Graan in his position as head coach.
The PGC is intended to be the key influence in all professional rugby matters in Munster, but it’s understood that van Graan has felt some outside pressure around player signings and squad planning more recently. That said, it’s thought the outside backers were also keen to see a greater return on their investment into the province. Munster have not yet won a trophy during van Graan’s tenure.
It appears that when Bath then came in with a very strong offer – both financially and in terms of the contract’s duration – van Graan had his head turned and invoked the six-month clause that is part of the IRFU’s coaching contracts.
The IRFU are understood to be extremely frustrated with the circumstances of van Graan’s departure, which came hot on the heels of Munster senior coach Stephen Larkham declining a two-year contract offer to return to the Brumbies in Australia at the end of season.
With Munster still owing the IRFU several million euros on the union’s loan which allowed them to redevelop Thomond Park and with further disruption on the coaching front, it’s believed that the union has frustrations with the southern province at present.
Bath today confirmed the signing of van Graan as they look to begin a major rebuild. The club has long had strong financial investment from owner Bruce Craig and key sponsor James Dyson, but haven’t matched it with any on-pitch success.
The club has excellent facilities and some top-class players. Van Graan is set to replace current head coach Neal Hatley and work alongside director of rugby Stuart Hooper.
“I am hugely excited for the opportunity to join Bath for the 2022/23 season,” said van Graan. “I see huge potential in this club, the players, coaches, and staff. I am coming to Bath to work with everyone and to achieve great success with everyone at the club.
“This is an exciting next step for me as a coach, and for my family in moving to a proud club and a true rugby city.”
Bath director of rugby Hooper hailed van Graan as “a phenomenal coach with a proven track record of developing teams to be successful on the pitch,” while the club’s CEO, Tarquin McDonald, expressed his delight at sealing the deal.
“Johann is a world-class coach who will play a fundamental role in our future success,” said McDonald.
“He will hold full responsibility for our game, focused on delivering winning performances. I am delighted to announce this appointment and look forward to welcoming Johann and his family to Bath this summer.”
Munster and the IRFU, meanwhile, must find two new leading coaches to succeed van Graan and Larkham.
Munster defence coach JP Ferreira is out of contract this summer and could follow van Graan to Bath, although it’s understood the province are hopeful of hanging on to forwards coach Graham Rowntree, whose current deal is also set to expire at the end of the season.
A number of ex-Munster players are now being linked with the vacant head coach position, including current Hurricanes head coach Jason Holland and Racing 92 attack coach Mike Prendergast.
South African coach Dave Wessels is another name thought to be under consideration, having come close to joining Munster before van Graan was signed in 2017. Wessels was in charge of the Melbourne Rebels in recent years but stepped down from that role earlier this year and is currently available.
Hope he does well with Bath but glad he is gone. Never looked like a top class coach.
@Blindside: i wonder will he bring any of the current squad with him.
Nevermind outsider influence in Wessels, we’ve tried the south African style of rugby and its pants. Just started to get away from it too but now larkham has upped sticks… Bring Prendergast home, give him what and who he wants and give munster back some bit of an identity.
@Michael Oats: Prendergast as Head Coach with Jackman on his coaching team is the way to go.
@David Finn: Why Jackman? He didn’t exactly set the world on fire at either Grenoble or Dragons. Also GR is a fine forwards coach imo.
@David Finn: christ no, not jackman. He’s best served as an analyst. Coaching hasn’t really played out for the guy, sure he couldn’t even keep bective rangers up in the AIL with a massive budget
@David Finn: LMAO. Jackman no thanks
@TL55: in fairness he did well enough at Grenoble. Dragons fair enough but that was always a bit high risk
@Michael Oats: Bernard stepped in after Bective dropped out of AIL in 2019. Bective are in the mix to go back up this year. Bernard is doing a great job and we are grateful to have him!
@Harry Leahy: last job = junior rugby. Would it be fair to say there’s a massive jump up to coaching a provincial side? And how much coin has he thrown around since 2019 he would want to be getting them in the top half of the table
@Michael Oats: “he couldn’t even keep bective rangers up in AIL”. He came in after we went down. I take my hat off to him for getting involved in Junior Rugby and doing something very positive. He attends every 2nds league match and much more besides. He is huge addition to our club, we are lucky to have him.
I will let others judge him on his professional record but not knock him for his involvement with Bective and Community Rugby.
@Harry Leahy: he attends every seconds league match….. As does every coach who’s training a first xv at every club in the country. He’s not doing it for the love of the community at all for god sake, 60 bags of sand per annum and still can’t get up. Come on now, give over a small bit
It’s not Munster’s style to be airing background stuff in public, hope a cap is put on it now ,whole scenario is turning toxic and very unprofessional.
Would love to see Conor O’Shea in as a director of rugby. I know he’s recently gotten a high up position with the RFU but I think he would be an ideal candidate. With Prendergast as a head/attacking coach.
@Leroy Jenkins: Agreed, looks like we need a steadying influence now with all the toxic stuff behind this.
@Leroy Jenkins: That’s probably a very good shout and one of the best suggestions I’ve seen over the last few months.
@Leroy Jenkins: probably the first smart comment I’ve seen here in a while
Thanks JVG but maybe everyone would agree he has taken this team as far as he could and its time for change for both he and the team ….love to have ROG but URC might be a step backwards for a Top14 coach
It’s pretty shocking that this magic clause exists in these contracts for sharks like Erasmus to exploit. Did Munster not learn from previous mistakes? Van Gran has looked after number one which he is entitled do …. Yet another journeyman South African coach shafting Munster . The time is right to give an Irishman the job. We seem to be enamoured in this country with foreign talent when we have loads of good candidates who are almost entitled to the job…. My vote would be prendergast….
@Davedental: every player and every coach is a “journeyman”. It’s what they do when they are in the job that counts
If ROG came back do you think this would be his last job?
For the record I think ROG is way to ambitious to come to Munster now. There are other mountains to climb for him before he would even countenance moving to Munster I feel.
@Davedental: he will have been here for 5 years, hardly a flash in the pan. Its probably a natural end, especially without trophies to date. A simple thanks, you have done a lot for us and best of luck in the new job is all that needs to be said on this.
@Reg Gordon: a journeyman in this situation is a pretty bang average coach who at best has steadied the ship without winning anything. ROG won’t touch the Munster job….. his ego is far too big! He’s going for the Irish job after Andy I reckon ….
@Davedental: isn’t Rassy the only other recent SA head coach we had (if ever)? So you consider the guy who turned a shambles of team into world cup winners in about a year to be a journeyman. We can all sleep easy knowing you don’t get a vote then
@Ciaran Kennedy: don’t forget Rassy shafted Munster too mate, he left in a hurry after doing very little of note . He then for some reason got to personally recommend Van Gran too. He did well I SA TBF but showed his true colours again very quickly…All I’m saying is that an Irishman should get the job…. There are a few outstanding candidates now where they haven’t been before…
@Davedental: it’s better than the 2 or 4 weeks notice most employment contracts require.
In what world is someone not allowed to leave a job if they wish to?
@Davedental: But yet if ROG or Prendergast did tthe same to Racing or La Rochelle that would all be rosy in the garden coz it benefits Munster. Talking about shafting Munster, I think ye really need to have a look at yereselves, and ask why coaches are running away. What has made JVG leave a job he’s in, to move to a less competitive club. Probably money, but the question is still there. When Lam left us, I was asking myself the same things, and part of it was he didn’t want to deal with the IRFU, part of it was Bristol came with a huge offer, but the big one I think was Bristol came with a plan where he didn’t have to operate on a shoestring budget for everything from players to facilities.
@Patrick Breen: lam was very clear that after the death of Axel Foley he reassessed his life and the money on offer from Bristol was the reason he left.
It was refreshing to hear that honesty and not the usual “ I have gone as far as I can with this squad ….”
What does he mean by “a true rugby city” ? What a strange thing to say
‘Moving to a proud rugby club and true rugby city ‘ is a bad dig
@Simon Reardon: wouldn’t be reading too much into it , he had to start on a positive note and we wish him well wherever it takes him
@Simon Reardon: sounds bitter to me. A true rugby city. Thats some cheap shot.
@Simon Reardon: Bath IS a true rugby city – it’s entirely to have more than one ‘true rugby city’ in Europe. Clermont is a ‘true rugby city’.
Mad he had his head turned after signing but still it’s done now. Interesting to see who comes forward and what backroom team they bring with them. The next appointment has to drive the club on or they fall further behind the top teams in Europe
Absolute bellox ! Signed a 2 year contract, Bath came in, deal done ! There was issues in recent months, laughable
Safe to say signing international SH players is now a waste of money, between the rugby championship, no URC games during November and 6N Windows you are paying massive money for about December, January, April and May, 4 months of rugby if they stay injury free. No matter how good they are it’s not worth it.
One centre and one second row to follow him
Munster have the players,the talent is there but they need a top coach at this stage to bring some badly needed silverware. Sadly a good foreign manager is probably needed….pay top money because a good one is 50% of the way to success, I hope they wont end up with a yellow pack leader
Last man out put the lights off.
Very worrying drip drip feed of negative leaks and it’s never good to hang your dirty washing out in public
This private benefactor stuff is a double edged sword.
The money is needed to attract marquee players , but It’ll be tough to pull in a top level coach if they think they’ll have to deal with some rich muppets trying to influence things.
If someone wants to help a club, great, but it should be made very clear they don’t get to dictate how things work.
@Frantic Pigeon: Absolutely they should have a say! English and French clubs are all privately owned and look how well they’ve done when clueless management are held accountable like businessmen would be.
@SomeGuy: are you high?
Pre pandemic financials for the premiership were horrific.
https://www.therugbypaper.co.uk/latest-news/32558/a-record-44-4m-in-losses-premiership-club-figures-revealed/
https://www.rugbypass.com/news/premiership-clubs-lost-a-collective-88-7million-in-the-two-years-before-cvc-buy-in/
Bath will be in the Championship next season!!
@Paddy Murphy: no relegation this year…
Coaching a second division side, not in the Champions cup?
Must be paing a lot, or things are toxic in Munster.
@ChronicAnxiety: no relegation this year
“A proven track record of developing successful teams on the pitch”.
He can’t be talking about Van Grann surely who has won nothing. Anyway I think Bath are about to witness a few more winless years.
These English clubs really throw money around like confetti at a wedding. Lamb at Bristol is given a five year deal (and has had a disaster since) so you would assume VG is getting something similar at Bath. It’s a gravy train for coaches and they would be mad to turn their noses up to it. Big money, long contract. Even if it goes pear shaped they will walk away with some serious money in the pocket. Win, won for the coaches involved. More Dumb and dumber management for the Premiership clubs.
Reading the Indo,it looks like the Historically incompetent Munster Board may have been given a get out of Jail card. The guy delivered no Trophies imported SA players, blocked young talent There is a massive potential there and he was not the man to mine it.So maybe the new guy will.But I will not be shocked if Munster balls this up
Conor O’Shea or Lancaster. With O’Gara, O’Connell and Felix Jones.
@Tombmunster: Hands off our Stuart. He’s going nowhere, for now.