(The Southern African Times) – South African-born Warren Abrahams has been named head coach of Wales’ national women’s rugby team.
The former USA Women’s sevens assistant coach will lead Wales’ preparations for the 2021 Rugby World Cup and 2022 Commonwealth Games.
According to Sky Sports, Abrahams becomes the Welsh Rugby Union’s (WRU) first black national coach. He previously held roles as part of the England Men’s Sevens coaching teams and in the academy set-up at Harlequins.
The WRU said on its official website that Abrahams will be responsible for the planning, implementation and delivery of the coaching programme for both the 15s and 7s international programmes on a three-year contract.
Abrahams commented: “This is a hugely exciting time to be part of the Wales Women programme and we have an opportunity to do something very special in the next 12 months and beyond.
“It’s my first international 15s head coach role at this level but I feel I’ve seen, experienced and learned enough to create a high performance environment that provides memorable experiences.
“We have around 38 weeks before we’re due to get on a plane to New Zealand which is not long but in the current climate we have to cherish the time and resources we have as you never know what’s in store.
“For me, mindset is key. Limitations are only what we put on ourselves. I realise that we all have obstacles and challenges to overcome and the current climate is a great example. Our players are balancing a number of aspects of their lives to ensure they perform to their optimum level, however, with all this in mind, if we take responsibility for our own actions, we are already steps ahead.”
Abrahams hails from Kraaifontein near Cape Town and played club rugby for Durbanville-Bellville and Maties before heading into coaching.
