England have been dealt a huge blow to their backroom team after their head of strength and conditioning Aled Walters was confirmed to have joined Ireland.
A statement from England on Thursday was followed shortly after by the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) announcing Walters’ shock switch to the men’s national side.
Walters, who is one of the most decorated coaches in rugby union, was also head of athletic performance for the Springboks when they won the World Cup in 2019.
Moving back to Ireland
He also has ties to Ireland after being Munster’s head of athletic performance for almost six seasons and he held a similar role at Premiership side Leicester Tigers.
Additionally, he’s held roles with the Brumbies and the Taranaki Rugby Football Union, with IRFU performance director, David Humphreys, delighted by the new appointment.
“On behalf of the IRFU I am delighted to welcome Aled back to Irish rugby,” he said.
“He is a world-class performance coach who has enormous international experience and he will add significantly to the environment in the years to come.
“I would like to wish Aled well in his role and we look forward to working with him ahead of the start of the Autumn Nations Series.”
Ireland head coach Andy Farrell added: “We are delighted that Aled has agreed to join the Ireland team. He has a wealth of experience and has been a key part of many successful environments over the course of his career to date.
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“I know how excited he is to return to Ireland and hit the ground running and I’m confident that he’ll play an important role in the squad as we embark on a busy international season, starting with the Autumn Nations Series this November.
“Aled replaces Jason Cowman who departed after the Guinness Six Nations success in March. Jason contributed a huge amount to Irish rugby over 15 years and we thank him for his incredible service over that time.”
Walters believes that he joins Ireland at an “exciting time” and departs England with no hard feelings as he wishes the Red Rose “every success” in the future.
“I am delighted to join the Ireland Men’s team and am excited about the opportunity to work with such a talented group of coaches and players,” he said.
“The Ireland team has gone from strength to strength in recent years and it’s an exciting time to rejoin Irish rugby as the team looks to achieve more success in the years to come.
“I’ve made some great memories coaching England, and I want to thank Steve, the management team and the players for their friendship and support. I wish the squad every success for the future.”
Meanwhile, England head coach Steve Borthwick had nothing but praise for Walters, who leaves the Rugby Football Union role after one year in the job.
“We’d like to thank Aled for his contribution to England Rugby,” he said.
“Aled is an excellent coach and has worked hard to help develop the current squad over the past 12 months. He leaves with our very best wishes for the future.”
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