Former Connacht head coach Pete Wilkins joins Benetton as attack coach

Irish Examiner

12-05-2025

Former Connacht head coach Pete Wilkins joins Benetton as their new attack coach on a three-year deal.
Wilkins stepped down with immediate effect as head coach of Connacht last month following a period of sick leave. Wilkins held a variety of roles in his time with the Western province across his eight seasons stepping into the head coach role under Director of Rugby Andy Friend for the 2022/23 season before being appointed head coach with overall responsibility for the Professional team in 2023.
Wilkins will join the Italian side for their preseason in July and will direct the operations of the Lions attack.
"I am very happy and honoured to join Benetton Rugby and the extended family of Treviso rugby' said Wilkins on his move to the Italian side.
"This move represents a new and exciting chapter, both for my family and for my coaching career. I am very grateful to Antonio Pavanello and Calum MacRae for offering me this opportunity: I look forward to working closely with them, my new colleagues and the group of players to continue to grow Benetton Rugby and to develop the undoubted potential of this historic Italian club."
General manager of Benetton Antonio Pavanello is excited to welcome Wilkins to the club.
"We are really excited to be able to welcome Peter Wilkins to our coaching staff. Together with Calum MacRae, we have conducted a careful evaluation of the available profiles and we are convinced that Peter represents the ideal choice to lead and develop our offensive department in the coming years.
"His international experience is wide and articulated: he has worked at the highest level in very different rugby contexts, from Australia to Ireland, where he recently played a key role at the helm of Connacht Rugby. Peter, not only held the role of offensive coach in the Andy Friend period, has also gained an important background as a head coach, an element that we consider very valuable to enrich the comparison and the quality of the work of our entire technical staff.
"The Connacht attack, under his direction, has always expressed an effective, dynamic and modern game, characteristics that go well with our vision and with the future goals of the team. We are happy that he has chosen Benetton Rugby to continue his career, certain that his contribution will make a difference in the growth of our team and in achieving the goals we have set ourselves.
"Finally, I would like to point out that in the next few days we will announce the definition of the technical staff and its components,"