The former Wales playmaker has taken his first steps into coaching
Rhys Patchell has joined the Dragons as a kicking coach, WalesOnline has learnt.
The 32-year-old will work with the Dragons for two-days a week as a kicking coach helping the likes of new signing Tinus de Beer, Cai Evans and promising Wales U20s outside-half Harri Ford.
Patchell has not formally retired from the game but he has decided to take his first steps into coaching at the Dragons.
The former Wales international has recently returned to Wales following a couple of seasons playing overseas in New Zealand with Super Rugby Pacific outfit the Highlanders and more recently with Japanese side NEC Green Rockets Tokatsu.
He has also enjoyed successful stints at Cardiff and the Scarlets where he helped the west Walians win the PRO12 title under Wayne Pivac in 2017. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby.
Patchell was an outstanding kicker in his day and is known as a great thinker of the game so it would be a surprise if he did not make a success out of a career in coaching.
More recently he has been a rugby pundit on S4C and BBC ScrumV. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here.
The Dragons are rebuilding after a bitterly disappointing 2024/25 season where they only won twice all season, but the club have recruited strongly ahead of the new campaign while a plethora of players have also left Rodney Parade.
Former Wales props Wyn Jones and Dillon Lewis are among the new recruits, along with Seb Davies, MacKenzie Martin and Thomas Young. Join WalesOnline Rugby’s WhatsApp Channel here to get the breaking news sent straight to your phone for free
Wales U20s captain Harry Beddall has also signing, while Tongan internationals Fetuli Paea (centre) and Fine Inisi (wing) are also coming on board, along with Welsh-qualified lock Levi Douglas from Biarritz.
Tiatia will be hoping Patchell can help the Dragons’ kicking game which has not been their strongest point in recent seasons.
Patchell will be following in the footsteps of the likes of Leigh Halfpenny, who is Wales’ kicking coach in Japan and Neil Jenkins.
