SCARLETS WILL REPLACE head coach Wayne Pivac with his fellow New Zealander Brad Mooar ahead of next season.
Mooar is currently working as assistant coach with back-to-back Super Rugby champions Crusaders. His primary focus in Christchurch has been on the team’s attack, with fellow assistant Ronan O’Gara taking responsibility for defence under head coach Scott Robertson.
Mooar, 44, previously coached the Southern Kings in Super Rugby and was director of rugby for the Southland Stags in the Mitre 10 Cup.
“The opportunity to take on the role of head coach at the Scarlets is simply too good to pass up and is both an exciting challenge for myself, and a fantastic opportunity for my family to experience life on the other side of the world,” Mooar said in a statement as he prepares to end a three-year association with the Crusaders.
Previously a solicitor, Mooar will take over from Pivac, who in turn will take over from Warren Gatland as head coach of Wales.
“We pride ourselves in appointing players and coaches that not only perform on the rugby field but also contribute to the ethos and environment of the club and our wider community,” says Jon Daniels, Scarlets’ general manager of rugby.
Brad’s rugby philosophy, leadership style and personality are everything we were looking for in a head coach.”
“Throughout the process we have been hugely impressed with Brad’s appreciation of Scarlets’ place in the community, his passion for developing players and the research he had done on our heritage.”
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Good appointment by Scarlets. Good for the league overall.
New remit for ROG? Try his hand at attack coach
Another very good appointment by the Scarlets. It’ll be a tough gig following Wayne Pivac but Mooar is a smart coach who’ll hopefully (for the league) keep the Scarlets competitive.
@Eddie Hekenui: I thought Jason Holland would have been in line for a job like that. It can’t be long until he gets a head coach role
@Jim Demps: Agreed. I was thinking he’d be a great choice for Ireland’s attack coach. It’d be great to get him back in the system. But I remember reading he want to stay in New Zealand for the next few years for family reasons.
@Eddie Hekenui: yeah he’d be one of the first names I’d think of in terms of attacking coaches. What about Dempsey? Think it’s possible that the IRFU encouraged him to go abroad to get a bit more experience for a season before bringing him back into the Irish set up? It’d be right in line with their planning.
@Jim Demps: He’d be better off staying for a year or two overseas and forging his own identity. He seemed to get a bit lost in all the praise of the Leinster coaches last year from the players and media. Not sure why but a few years in England making a name for himself would be great for him. 2019 is probably a bit too soon for him
How long is his contract? Ireland could use him as attack coach if Lancaster doesn’t want it after RWC2019.
@Conor Alexander Lynott: I though Farrell had you pencilled in for the attacking coach position
@samstheman: I thought he was being earmarked as Alain Rolland’s replacement as World Rugby Head of Refereeing.
@Chris Mc: na it was his cousin as defensive coach. You know he once tackled Larmour
@William Finnegan: careful now, he’s still out there you know. He could pop up and tackle someone else sometime soon.
Why is there no talk of Gatland getting NZ job after Wales?
@Fred McHugh: Steve hanson doesn’t want to quit after the WC