Former Wales coaches Warren Gatland and Jonathan Humphreys have both taken up new consultancy roles with World Rugby. Humphreys is now World Rugby's scrum consultant, while Gatland serves as a World Rugby coaching consultant.
Departures from Wales
Gatland left his second stint with Wales midway through the 2025 Six Nations following a 14-Test losing run. Humphreys, who worked as Wales' forward coach under Wayne Pivac and Gatland, departed ahead of last year's summer tour of Japan.
Gatland had previously held occasional consultancy roles and turned down a director of rugby position at Harlequins earlier this year. He was also understood to have applied to become Fiji's head coach, although he has since denied that.
World Rugby conference and scrum focus
Both coaches were present this week as World Rugby's referees and officials gathered for a conference, with Humphreys leading a presentation on scrums. A special focus will be placed on certain aspects of the scrum this month in the Nations Championship, as explained by Humphreys.
Both loosehead props will need to have their right shoulders out ahead of the engagement, while the hooker must have his brake foot grounded in the tunnel to ensure the scrum stays stable.
The previous day, the top 24 international head coaches had met with World Rugby officials to discuss the future of the game.
Humphreys on leaving Wales
Earlier this year, Humphreys spoke to WalesOnline about leaving his coaching role with Wales, saying he was taking a break from the game.
“I'm not bitter about leaving because if you lose 17 games in a row you're lucky to stay in a job,” he said. “So I have no issue that they wanted to go a different way.
“I loved my time with Wales and I was proud to win the Six Nations and beat the Springboks for the first time out in South Africa, but everything must come to an end at some point.
“I will always look back at my time in the job with an equal measure of pride and disappointment.
“I have taken a big break because I haven’t had one for 35 years.
“I have taken a complete break which I have very much enjoyed. I have loved it. I haven’t missed rugby at all.
“With Wales, towards the end, you knew it was going to be a massive struggle to compete. All that comes with the stresses of it all.
“Until you have actually taken yourself away from it, you don’t know how much effect that has on you.
“It’s again like having the Welsh captaincy taken off me. It’s like a relief and I feel a lot better for it.
“I’m more relaxed and your emotions are not up and down on a weekly basis.”
