Rob Howley vows to make the most of his ‘second opportunity’ with Wales after taking up new coaching role, as he admits he has come through an ‘extremely challenging time’ after serving a ban for breaching betting regulations
- Rob Howley previously worked as Warren Gatland's assistant at Wales
- He was banned in 2019 for breaching World Rugby gambling rules
- Howley has now been welcomed back as technical coach
Rob Howley has vowed to repay the faith shown in him by Warren Gatland and the top brass of Welsh rugby after his return to the country's domestic game was confirmed on Thursday.
Howley was banned from rugby and left his previous role with Wales on the eve of the 2019 World Cup when it emerged he had bet on the sport he was involved in.
A subsequent investigation banned Howley from any involvement in rugby for 18 months, nine of which were suspended. He admitted breaching World Rugby gambling rules.
After his ban expired, Howley worked in Canada but will now start as technical coach alongside Wales head coach Gatland in 2024. In his new role he will also lead Welsh rugby's development pathway system and work closely with the country's Under-20 squad.
“I feel like the time is right and I'm really looking forward to getting back into the side with Wales,” said former Wales scrum-half and captain Howley.
Rob Howley (pictured) was banned from any involvement in rugby for breaching the betting rules
He is now back in the fold as technical coach for Wales, having previously been assistant coach of the national team under Warren Gatland (left)
'I have a second chance to do a job to which I have dedicated my working life and I am grateful to everyone in Welsh rugby for their acceptance and confidence in me.
'It's the faith that I want to repay as best I can. The opportunity to work with the under-20s and other teams and help develop and prepare them for the challenges of international rugby is particularly exciting. I have been going through an extremely challenging time in my life.
'Talking about it and talking about it has helped me move forward. I will be happy to share my experiences with others who may be going through difficult times and I am grateful to everyone around me who has supported me through these times.”
Howley was found to have placed 363 bets on rugby union between November 13, 2015 and September 7, 2019, covering 1,163 matches.
Some of these bets involved Welsh matches and there were two instances where Howley bet on a specific Welsh player who would either be a try scorer in a match or score the first try.
He admitted that his gambling was a result of the death of his sister Karen Thomas and that he had made a serious mistake.
It was a mistake for which he had to pay heavily, but he has now served his time. It's great to see him again.
Howley was found to have placed bets on more than 1,000 matches over a four-year period, some of which involved Wales
Gatland wanted to bring Howley into his team earlier this year, but the move was blocked by the Welsh Rugby Union board at the time.
However, there can be no doubt that his rugby knowledge and coaching experience will be of great benefit to Welsh rugby now that a return to Wales has been confirmed.
In his first decorated spell as Gatland's Wales assistant, Howley won three Six Nations grand slams in 2008, 2012 and 2019 and led Wales to the 2013 Championship title as head coach.
He worked with Wales at the 2011 and 2015 World Cups and was assistant coach with the British & Irish Lions on three consecutive tours in 2009, 2013 and 2017. Howley will rejoin Gatland's backroom team as Wales assistant coach (technical), alongside Mike Forshaw (defence), Jonathan Humphreys (forward), Neil Jenkins (skill) and Alex King (attack).
“Rob is currently one of the most successful and experienced Welsh coaches on the international stage,” said Gatland, who adds new blood to his backroom team after contact area coach Jonathan Thomas announced his departure.
Gatland is 'delighted' to have Howley back in the fold after serving his ban from the sport
“When we lost Rob to Welsh rugby we lost a hugely significant amount of intellectual property, knowledge of the game in Wales and of the international stage.
'I am pleased to welcome him back in this new role. It will benefit all parts of the game, including our four regional teams and their academies.
“In terms of the senior men's team, we are delighted to have him join the coaching team in 2024 and it is a big step for Welsh rugby to secure his services again.”
Howley's work with Wales Under-20s will see him join forces with Richard Whiffin, who has been confirmed as the new head coach of the junior team.