Joe Schmidt on board as Ulster turn to former 'World Rugby Coach of the Year' for new role
Former Ireland and Australia head coach Joe Schmidt has celebrated Ulster’s ‘proud rugby tradition’ following confirmation of his arrival in a newly-created role.
Schmidt’s addition to the Ulster team as coach development advisor in a consultancy capacity will focus on strengthening and developing a pathway.
“Ulster has a proud rugby tradition and further developing the coaching pathway in the region is something that we believe can add value,” said Schmidt. “We've had initial discussions about where to get started and I've already had the opportunity to work with some of the school coaches, alongside Dan Soper.”
Ulster’s statement highlighted the arrival of Schmidt towards a “commitment to building a sustainable and aligned coaching pathway, creating long-term benefits for players, coaches and the wider rugby community throughout the province”.
New Zealand-born Schmidt arrives with a celebrated track record across the game’s highest levels – from Heineken Cup glory twice at Leinster before three Six Nations Championship titles for Ireland, including a 2018 Grand Slam, alongside time with the All Blacks and Wallabies international set-ups.
Schmidt, a former World Rugby Coach of the Year, will undertake a string of visits to the province across the next 12 months along with remote interactions.
Ulster Rugby general manager Rory Best added: "Last season we introduced a dedicated focus on player development within our performance pathway, it is equally important that we prioritise the long-term development of our coaches.
"Strengthening our coaching pathway is a key part of our long-term strategy...Joe's involvement will help us support coaches at every stage of their journey.”