Former Connacht boss Pete Wilkins joins Benetton as attack coach
FORMER CONNACHT HEAD coach Pete Wilkins has been appointed as backs coach by Benetton on a three-year deal.
Wilkins, who had been contracted as Connacht boss until 2026, departed the western province in April after a period of sick leave. Cullie Tucker took the reins while Wilkins was absent and remains Connacht's interim head coach.
Englishman Wilkins, who joined Connacht in 2017, spent time steering the province's attack and, later, their defence, before ascending to the head coach's role following the departure of Andy Friend in 2022.
He also joined Andy Farrell as an assistant coach on Ireland's 2022 summer tour of New Zealand.
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🆕 Il Benetton Rugby è felice di annunciare la nomina di Peter Wilkins come prossimo allenatore dell'attacco dei Leoni
✍️📄 Wilkins ricoprirà l'incarico dall'1 luglio 2025 al 30 giugno 2028
Leggi la notizia completa ➡️ https://t.co/YZHhp1QNBi#BenettonRugby #WeAreLions pic.twitter.com/rzJg2xNRfU — Benetton Rugby 🦁 (@BenettonRugby) May 12, 2025
As first reported by Bernard Jackman on The 42′s Rugby Weekly Extra podcast last month, Londoner Wilkins will now guide Benetton's attack under new head coach Callum MacRae until at least the summer of 2028.
Speaking of his move to Italy, the 45-year-old said: 'I am very happy and honoured to join Benetton Rugby and the wider Treviso rugby family.
'This move represents an exciting new chapter, both for my family and for my coaching career,' Wilkins added. '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.'
Antonio Pavanello, Benetton's general manager, added: 'We are very excited to welcome Peter Wilkins to our coaching staff.
'Together with Calum MacRae, we have conducted a careful assessment of the available profiles and we are convinced that Peter represents the ideal choice to lead and develop our attacking department in the coming years.
'His international experience is broad and varied: he has worked at the highest level in very different rugby contexts, from Australia to Ireland, where he recently had a key role in the leadership of Connacht Rugby.
'Peter not only covered the role of attack coach under Andy Friend, he has also gained important experience 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 marry well with our vision and the future objectives of the team.
'We are happy that he has chosen Benetton Rugby to continue his career, certain that his contribution will make the difference in the growth of our team and in achieving the objectives we have set ourselves.'
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