Welsh Rugby Union chief Abi Tierney spoke to WalesOnline in the wake of Steve Tandy’s appointment
Welsh Rugby Union chief executive Abi Tierney has explained why it took so long for the governing body to hire Steve Tandy to replace Warren Gatland as she said that any suggestions she is about to step away from her post are ‘categorically false’.
Tandy was announced as Wales’ new men’s national team head coach on Monday, just over five months after Gatland had left following two matches of this year’s Six Nations. Gatland’s second stint had ended ignominiously after 14 straight defeats at Test level, with that run stretching to 18 until victory over Japan in interim coach Matt Sherratt’s final game in charge.
The fact that Wales had lost 18 consecutive international matches, dropping them down to a new low of 14th in the world rankings, arguably could have made the search for a new coach difficult.
Welsh rugby is in the midst of a major rebuild right now, with a consultation process underway to determine if the number of professional clubs should be reduced to three or two.
Given the landscape and the lengthy losing run, Wales could easily have been negotiating on the backfoot when it came to finding Gatland’s successor – although Tierney denies this is the case. She is also adamant she is going nowhere, despite social media rumours she is close to quitting.
“Steve really wanted the job,” she said. “Clearly he was under contract with Scotland so he had to have those conversations and tread carefully there, which is why it’s taken the time it’s taken.
“It was really important to Steve that he was able to see the tour through and be able to tell the team. It didn’t feel like we were on the backfoot.
“It felt like a good conversation.”
She added: “When you talked about some of the other candidates, thinking about a ‘super coach’, we wanted someone who knew this was going to be a long-term project.
“We felt that was really important. We wanted someone who wanted to be part of a journey.”
Tierney also added that she had the sense through the interview process that coaching Wales was a job that Tandy seemed destined to do.
“When he talked us through his journey, particularly the one he’s had since he left the Ospreys, it was incredible in terms of the learning that he’s been through,” she said. “He then went over to Australia with the Waratahs, and then over to Scotland.
“One of the core things of Steve’s DNA is that desire to continually learning and improve. I think he always had in his heart that he wanted to come back to Wales, when he’d gone away and done all the learning that he needed to do.
“When we challenged him on what his draw back to this was, it was a destiny job and one he was always destined to do.”
Given the unsteady nature of Welsh rugby right now, with the number of professional clubs firmly up in the air, the game in this country needs steady leadership for the considerable future to provide stability.
Ahead of the long-term rebuild, Tierney insists she has no plans to walk away from Welsh rugby just yet.
“Yes, absolutely,” she answered when asked if she wanted to continue as CEO. “I’m not considering doing anything different. I don’t give up easily.”
When asked if suggestions that she would leave her post upon her return to the UK had any truth in them, she replied: “Categorically false.”
