Wyatt enjoying role with Wales Women

Wales Women have added a string to their bow this year with the addition of Gareth Wyatt to their coaching staff.

With assistant coach Nick Wakley fully immersed in the sevens side of the women’s rugby programme – currently preparing for competition in Brisbane – Wales needed an attack-minded individual to fill the gap. Who better than the man who scored a whopping 112 tries for Pontypridd?

“When I was first asked if I’d be interested in the job, I went away and thought about it,” says Wyatt. “But really, it was a no-brainer. To be involved in the Six Nations at any level, playing or coaching, is such a great opportunity.”

Wyatt’s brief isn’t too dissimilar to the one he holds with Pontypridd, and with the perennial Principality Premiership contenders scoring tries aplenty this season, it’s not unreasonable to think that some of Wyatt’s magic will rub off on head coach Rowland Phillips’s team.

“Ponty have been really supportive of my work with Wales Women,” he says. “Without that I wouldn’t have been able to do it, because I’ve got a pretty big workload already.”

That workload includes his role as rugby coach of the formidable Coleg y Cymoedd side, which means he has overseen the development of many of Wales’ up-and-coming youngsters. Prior to this, Wyatt was involved in the rugby programme of another college, Cardiff and Vale.

Hanging up his boots for good in 2014 (“Probably six years too late!” he laughs), he did so in the knowledge that he had a safety net if rugby didn’t pan out. “Coaching jobs are few and far between, so I’d done a four-year electrical apprenticeship,” explains the former Celtic Warrior. “When I’d finished playing full-time, I went semi-pro and started coaching alongside my apprenticeship.”

Familiar with coaching teenagers at college level, as well as men at one of Wales’ most famous clubs, Wyatt has now taken on a different challenge altogether. “It was too good an opportunity,” he says of joining Wales Women. “I had a couple of meetings with Rowland and watched some footage. It’s quite exciting where the women’s game in Wales is going in the next four years and beyond. It’s a growing game, and I’m happy to be part of it.”

For his part, as a former wing who was also utilised to great effect at fullback and even fly-half, he is impressed by what he was seen with the women’s team – particularly in the recent warm-up match against Ireland in Ystrad Mynach.

“There are some exciting young players coming through, especially in the wide channels,” says Wyatt. “We’re looking to develop a game where we can identify the space into which we can put our back three players.

“Given half a chance, these girls can score tries. Players like Jess Kavanagh-Williams, who scored a couple against Ireland, really showed what they can do. There are a lot of quality back-three players, so it’s exciting from that point of view to work with them.”

He says he’s been fortunate over last few years to be able to observe some high-level coaches: “I value the importance of upskilling, and I’ve learnt a lot from the people I’ve worked with over the last six years or so. The likes of Paul John, Dale McIntosh and Justin Burnell, who’s now at Ponty.

“I’ve also been able to see what Matt Sherratt does at Cardiff Blues, which is excellent. I’ve picked up a lot of things from him, seeing how modern professional coaches work. It’s been very beneficial.”

Rowland Phillips has previously spoken of how effectively women rugby players absorb information from their coaches, and Wyatt agrees. “That’s part of the attraction of the job. They take on board the finer details. As soon as they grasp what you’re trying to achieve, they adapt quickly.”