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Thursday

14:00

South African franchise snaps up Noel McNamara, the Ireland age-grade Grand Slam coach

By Kim Ekin

23 Jun 2021

(Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Ex-Ireland U20s Grand Slam-winning coach Noel McNamara has landed a position at the Durban-based Sharks ahead of the South African franchise’s inclusion in the new United Rugby Championship for next season. The Sharks, the Bulls, the Stormers and the Lions are set to compete against the dozen European clubs who were part of the old PRO14 tournament and McNamara is set to take up a senior coaching role in Durban having worked in recent years as the academy manager at Leinster.

McNamara was head coach of the Ireland U20s from 2018 to 2020, winning a Six Nations Grand Slam in 2019, and he was then appointed Leinster academy manager having initially joined the IRFU’s elite player pathway team in 2016 as a Leinster development officer.

He said: “I’m grateful to the IRFU and Leinster for helping to facilitate this move which will be another great learning and development opportunity for me as a coach.

A RugbyPass All Access special on the greatest South African team of all time

“I have received great support to date on my coaching journey garnering experience with multiple underage teams, exposure to senior provincial and national coaches and getting the opportunity of a three-month placement with North Harbour in New Zealand. This appointment is exciting for both me and my family and I am looking forward to getting started.”

McNamara’s coaching career began at Glenstal Abbey in Limerick before an eight-year tenure at Clongowes Wood in Kildare produced two Leinster senior schools cup titles.

'It was probably the most disappointing call ever… I get counselling every four years when they announce it… it brings back the memories'@philmattie was nailed on for Lions selection, until he wasn't. He relives some painful memories w/ @heagneyl 👨‍💻https://t.co/NwSr5YCm0t
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) June 20, 2021

IRFU performance director David Nucifora added: “Noel is a smart ambitious young coach who has achieved success at underage level. This is an exciting senior role for Noel in South Africa where he will be exposed to a different rugby and coaching culture and which will no doubt greatly benefit his development.

“Noel has progressed through the coaching pathway in Ireland and in recent discussions with him, it was clear he was in need of a fresh challenge that would help accelerate his coaching career. We looked at different environments and what could be a good fit and this definitely offers a fantastic opportunity in a senior role. Noel’s time in South Africa is sure to benefit Irish rugby in the future. We will be monitoring his progress closely.”

It's an opening day starting XV made up of 6 Irish, 5 Welsh and 4 Scots… #LionsRugby https://t.co/1W9yzL8201
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) June 22, 2021

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Comments on RugbyPass

SteveD 19 minutes ago

Scottish Rugby set for huge Duhan van der Merwe shaped boost

I'm starting to believe with the incredible depth of SA rugby SARU should discuss the possibility of not just having Saffers playing for foreign club teams, they should suggest that to bring up the game internationally instead of the Duhans having to spend three years qualifying for the international team there could also be a 'loan' type of agreement where they could play automatically for the country they were in for a specific number of years while the home players had time to improve (or something like that) but the game itself would also benefit from better matches. Just an idea, Rassie...

1 Go to comments

BH 35 minutes ago

TJ Perenara clarifies reference to the Treaty in All Blacks' Haka

If 42 King's Counsel lawyers independently told the NZ government that the Treaty Bill is completely unnecessary, that they should abandon it and it attempts to rewrite the Treaty itself, then you know you've stuffed up royally. Good on ya TJ!

18 Go to comments

BH 39 minutes ago

TJ Perenara clarifies reference to the Treaty in All Blacks' Haka

Unity!

18 Go to comments

Bull Shark 41 minutes ago

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Should be a canter for the Irish.

But let’s hope not.

1 Go to comments

BH 43 minutes ago

TJ Perenara clarifies reference to the Treaty in All Blacks' Haka

Oh look it's another worthless commenter who cannot put up an argument based on reality and life experience thats outside of their own coloniser point of view. The whyte fragility on display from you apartheid supporters is very entertaining. It's like playing whack-a-mole. The little xenophobics keep popping up and I just keep on slamming them back down with my truth hammer. Next!

18 Go to comments

BH 45 minutes ago

TJ Perenara clarifies reference to the Treaty in All Blacks' Haka

Blah blah blah what a load of tripe. Keep living in your corporate greed world where the colonisers think they can force the indigenous to assimilate through banning their language, stealing their land and enforcing their views and religion. Yawnnn. NEXT.

18 Go to comments

BH 48 minutes ago

TJ Perenara clarifies reference to the Treaty in All Blacks' Haka

Another neocapitalist ignoramus comment. NEXT.

18 Go to comments

YeowNotEven 58 minutes ago

Former Ireland centre Brendan Mullin jailed for 3 years

Only stole from a bank, hardly a crime.

6 Go to comments

TBPinOZ 2 hours ago

Men's 15s World Player of the Year was only a two horse race

Ben Smith. My Man! So glad this is only "opinion piece". I was Reading the headline and straight away assumed you meant a 2 horse race between Pieter and Cheslin. There was no way you you meant Caelan.

Cheslin is not only the most exciting winger of this generation, but also a multi disciplined performer, Defence, Lineouts, Conversions and scrumming. LOL. He can do it all. He can put players twice his size on there rear ends and side step at full pace around on coming traffic on a penny.

I will also note that there has been since 2009 till 2017 only NZ winners bar the great one Thierry Dusautoir for France in 2011. And this was because they were the best team in the world winning back to back world cups, also having the best players at that time nominated. Never before has there been more than 2 players from the same country nominated for the award, but this year there was 3 from SA. All Dbl World Cup winning Players.

No one has been so put out about who was nominated in earlier awards, but for some reason you are.

I am thankful that its not up to you to decide on the "token" choices. (Rather lets not use that language again). The world chose the players and lets leave it there.

I don't Blame Rugby Pass for allowing this to print, but there should have been some profound editing on this.

Thanks for your opinion, But maybe lets keep it that just yours not anyone else's.

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Wit Kant 2 hours ago

Men's 15s World Player of the Year was only a two horse race

That is very rude towards Kieran Read

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Cantab 3 hours ago

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Cantab 3 hours ago

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SadersMan 3 hours ago

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Cantab 3 hours ago

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Australia will need their best team to be at least competitive against the Irish. Ireland are a much stronger team than Scotland.

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Mzilikazi 4 hours ago

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1 Go to comments

Mzilikazi 4 hours ago

Former Ireland centre Brendan Mullin jailed for 3 years

I am saddened that this is how Brendan Mullin has ended up. I met him in the 70's as a 16 year old , when attending a trial for an Irish Schools age group sevens team. I was coaching in Ulster at the time, and we had a player in contention.

On the way back up to Belfast, he was on the train for part of the way out of Dublin, and I got to know him a bit. He told me was born in Jerusalem, lived some years there. He was now being educated at the rugby powerhouse, Blackrock College. He made that team, as did my player. His immense talent was clear at that age.

6 Go to comments

Jmann 5 hours ago

TJ Perenara clarifies reference to the Treaty in All Blacks' Haka

Wrong

18 Go to comments

Jmann 5 hours ago

TJ Perenara clarifies reference to the Treaty in All Blacks' Haka

in fact polls have shown conclusively 2 things: First - more people in NZ support the bill than do not (FACT!)/ Secondly - 96% of the 'hikoi' participants had not read Act's bill. In other words... they have no idea what it is about. You have carried this ignorance on with your statement that Act "seek to rewrite the Treaty'. That is 100% inaccurate and in fact is explicitly ruled out in the bill. You should educate yourself and read it before before commenting on matters that you clearly have no understanding of.

18 Go to comments

Jmann 5 hours ago

TJ Perenara clarifies reference to the Treaty in All Blacks' Haka

Balls - it was a misguided and unsanctioned dig into matters he (like 95% of the anti-Bill crowd) completely misunderstand and misrepresent. Good riddance to this bench warmer.