Shaun Edwards takes Argentina defence coach position

Defence coach Shaun Edwards has joined Argentina’s teaching employees on a deal that runs till the top of the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.

The announcement ends any hypothesis that Edwards could possibly be handed a job in Steve Borthwick’s England set-up, with the 59-year-old set to fulfil his consultancy position with England’s ladies’s workforce earlier than becoming a member of Felipe Contepomi’s employees.

“I’m delighted to affix Felipe Contepomi, his teaching employees and the Argentina rugby workforce on the finish of this month till the World Cup subsequent yr in Australia,” stated Edwards.

“I’ve at all times admired the power and high quality of Argentine gamers and I hope to deliver a few of my transnational expertise to the workforce in the course of the subsequent yr,” added the previous Wigan rugby league nice.

Englishman Edwards, who is without doubt one of the most embellished coaches in rugby union, left his place as France males’s defence coach earlier this yr after serving to them win three Six Nations titles.

Edwards and former Argentina head coach and hooker Mario Ledesma, who has been appointed to take cost of the forwards, will begin work with the Pumas on the finish of October.

Argentina are then set to face Ireland, Italy and France in November in Nations Championship matches.

Three-time semi-finalists Argentina have been drawn in a pool with Fiji, Spain and Canada on the World Cup which takes place between 1 October and 13 November in 2027.

Edwards, who additionally spent a profitable 12 years with Wales and gained 4 English titles and two Champions Cups whereas on Wasps’ employees, stated in March that he was curious about teaching within the Rugby Championship, the southern hemisphere event contested by South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina.

He turned down an opportunity to teach his nation in 2006, believing that the busier fixture checklist at Wasps would swimsuit him higher as he grieved the demise of his brother.

Two years later, he opted to tackle a defence position with Wales, rather than lead England’s second-string side, then known as the Saxons., external

In 2021, he met with Rugby Football Union chief govt Bill Sweeney however, and not using a agency supply forthcoming, signed a contract extension to stay with France.