Former Wallaby Scott Fardy joins Connacht

In a significant coup for the province, Connacht have announced the appointment of Scott Fardy as their new defence coach on a two-year contract.

Fardy, who had a successful playing career across the globe, played for four seasons at Leinster, five years at the Brumbies in Super Rugby, and three years at Kamaishi Seawaves in Japan. During his playing career, he won four Guinness PRO14 titles and a Heineken Champions Cup with Leinster, where he was also named in the PRO14 Dream Team for three consecutive seasons.

Fardy is an experienced international player, having represented Australia 39 times between 2013-2016 and started in the 2015 Rugby World Cup final. Since retiring in 2021, Fardy has been actively involved in coaching, starting with the NEC Green Rockets in Japan and then moving back to Australia to work with his former Shute Shield club Warringah.

“I’m very excited to be joining the coaching team in Connacht,” said Fardy. “I’ve had some great conversations with Pete and I’m looking forward to making the move and working with all the players and coaches.

“My wife and I loved our time in Ireland. Both our boys were born there and it feels like home for us, so the move makes perfect sense for us. I’m also very excited to be coaching in the URC and Europe, which are such challenging and diverse competitions.

“There’s a lot of great young talent in the Connacht squad, coupled with some really experienced players. I’m looking forward to working with them and doing my bit to help them go from strength to strength”

Connacht Rugby is understandably excited to have Fardy come on board as their new defence coach, given his extensive experience as a player and more recently as a coach. Commenting on the announcement, head coach Pete Wilkins says:

“I am delighted to be adding Scott to the Connacht Rugby coaching team for the 2023/24 season and beyond. When we began the recruitment process for a new defence coach, it was important to identify someone with experience of professional rugby at the very highest level, but also a person with the qualities that we want to see in a Connacht Rugby team in the years ahead. In Scott we have recruited someone who absolutely fits that mould on both fronts.

“His playing career speaks for itself, and when you chat to anyone who has shared a pitch with him, more often than not the first thing they highlight are his leadership skills and his ability to inspire those around him. Scott understands what it takes to develop a relentless and winning mindset, and with his thorough knowledge of the Irish rugby landscape, is really motivated to help Connacht reach the next level.

“These attributes will be a huge benefit to the club and us as a coaching team, and I’m sure the players will be massively excited to learn from and work with Scott in the years ahead.”