Latest news with #GeoffParling
BBC News
5 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Leicester legend Cole joins Tigers staff
Former Leicester Tigers and England prop Dan Cole has taken up a backroom role with the club following his retirement as a 38-year-old, whose final game for Tigers was their Premiership Final loss against Bath in June, becomes the new recruitment and retention will see the four-time Premiership winner play on a key role in shaping Tigers squads of the future and will see him work closely alongside new head coach - and former Tigers team-mate - Geoff chief executive Andrea Pinchen says she has "no doubt" that Cole will be a "great fit" with his new job, which will see him sit on a newly created recruitment and retention committee."He is a Leicester Tigers man through and through; he wants to see this club be successful and, pleasingly, wants to contribute and be a part of this exciting new chapter," Pinchin told the club website., external Cole's new job at Mattioli Woods Welford Road comes as part of an off-field restructure that sees general manager Richard Wilks leave the who initially worked for Tigers as head of recruitment, had overseen the club's entire rugby operations - including the men's side and both the women's and academy programmes - since the summer of role of general manager will not be directly replaced, with a new role for a head of rugby operations created takes on the head of rugby operations job will oversee the newly created recruitment and retention committee that will include Cole and Parling, as well as finance director Fintan Kennedy, head of analysis Matt Egan and head of pathway and rugby partnerships James Wade.
France 24
27-07-2025
- Sport
- France 24
Wallabies hire New Zealand's Donnelly to help Schmidt
The 43-year-old replaces England's Geoff Parling who is leaving his Wallabies job after the British and Irish Lions tour to become Leicester Tigers' coach. "Watching from afar, the journey the team is on and the improvement they are making is exciting," said Donnelly, who worked with Super Rugby side Western Force last season. "I'm looking forward to rolling up my sleeves and doing my part to continue the ongoing growth of the team." Donnelly played 15 Tests for New Zealand and nearly 100 Super Rugby games, along with three seasons in the France's Top 14, before transitioning to coaching. The Wallabies get their Rugby Championship underway against South Africa in Johannesburg on August 16.
Telegraph
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Dan Cole in talks to become part of Leicester coaching team
Dan Cole, the former Leicester and England tighthead, is in talks to join the Tigers' backroom staff and make a swift return to rugby ahead of next season. Telegraph Sport understands that Cole is close to agreeing an as-yet-undefined role in the coaching cabal of Geoff Parling, his former club, country and British and Irish Lions team-mate. Cole received a controversial yellow card in his 343rd and final Leicester appearance in the Premiership final loss to Bath. Nightmare for Dan Cole! 😐 The prop receives a yellow in his final game which could be his final act... #GallagherPremFinal — Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) June 14, 2025 It is understood, too, that Richard Wilks, Leicester's general manager, has departed the club, with a replacement to be announced in due course. The signing of players was one of Wilks's key responsibilities and although Cole will not be a direct replacement for the outgoing general manager, it is understood that the club's legendary tighthead took a keen interest in the science of recruitment before his retirement. Wilks, a former player with Sale, arrived at the Tigers in their Premiership title-winning season of 2021-22 as head of performance recruitment before a promotion to general manager ahead of the 2023-24 campaign. Wilks, who was the agent of Steve Borthwick before both signed for Leicester, was responsible for engaging the services of a good number of the Tigers' title-winning cohort. However, Leicester have not hit the heights of that season since. In 2023, the Tigers were losing semi-finalists to Sale and in 2024 the East Midlands club finished eighth and dispensed with the services of Australian head coach Dan McKellar after just one campaign. McKellar's compatriot, Michael Cheika, was parachuted in at short notice ahead of last season and managed to steer Leicester to the Premiership final – albeit in a losing cause, to Bath – but the Tigers' hunt for a head coach to replace Cheika, as well as a fly-half to fill the gap left by the outgoing Handre Pollard, turned into somewhat of a saga. Wilks did, however, help land Cheika and bring in Adam Radwan from Newcastle midway through last season. Tigers 'would be mad' to let Cole leave Telegraph Sport revealed how several candidates had been identified and approached before the Tigers finally decided to bring their former lock Parling back from his role as Australia forwards' coach, after the British and Irish Lions series. Telegraph Sport also revealed how the Tigers had signed Wallabies utility back James O'Connor to replace Pollard, although that is understood to not be a long-term deal. Cole bowed out of a glittering playing career in June having amassed 118 caps for his country and another three for the Lions. The 38-year-old won four Premiership titles, a Six Nations Grand Slam – as well as two further championships – and represented England at four World Cups. Given Cole only hung his boots up earlier this month, the former prop does not have hands-on experience of either coaching or recruitment, and would be somewhat of a gamble by Leicester. However, Cole is also hugely respected and admired throughout English rugby with one source linked to the Tigers saying they would be 'mad' to let him depart the club and the sport for good. It is understood, too, that Cole will not assume scrummaging responsibilities with Leicester, as Neil Fowkes continues in that role. A restructure has taken place under Parling. Mike Forshaw, the former Wales and Sale defence coach, will arrive at Mattioli Woods Welford Road in place of Dave Kidwell – the Kiwi who was brought in by Cheika – while Anthony Allen, Leicester's 2013 Premiership-winning centre, has returned to the club to join Parling's coaching ticket.
Telegraph
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Australia coach Geoff Parling: I missed my child's birth to play for Lions, that's how much it means
In January, Geoff Parling stood alongside John Eales to discuss the significance of the Lions series in front of Australia's squad ahead of this summer's tour. Former second row Eales, who captained the Wallabies to the 2001 series victory, gave the green and gold perspective; Parling, now Australia's assistant coach and soon-to-be Leicester Tigers head coach, provided the view from the other side of the ledger as the first man to play for and coach against the Lions. Parling, a former Newcastle, Leicester and Exeter second row, started in two of the Lions' Test series against Australia in 2013, although his memories are somewhat blurry. What he does recall is his exquisite tap tackle on Jesse Mogg in the third test – 'My long arms came in useful for once' – and something entirely unconnected to rugby. @lionsofficial THAT TAP TACKLE 😰 #Rugby #LionsRugby ♬ SIGMA X MEN - AMAAN__HERE 'The biggest thing for me was my daughter was born back in the UK and she was healthy,' Parling said. 'So the biggest thing that stands out for me wasn't even on the rugby field. That might sound crazy because it's a big tour, but going back and meeting your daughter when she's two and a half weeks old, it's pretty special. Changing her nappy when all the blokes are on the p--- back in Sydney celebrating, in a way was pretty special.' While Parling was happy to share his experience, he is keen to emphasise that his perspectives are of limited and diminishing value as we approach the first Test at the Suncorp Stadium on Saturday. 'The fact you have a once-in-12-year opportunity probably makes it even bigger,' Parling said. 'They're aware it's pretty special. They definitely know it. I don't think I have to big it up as anything else. I've just got to make sure what I give to them is valuable. So what I am probably giving in terms of that is probably less than you think. As we're getting closer to the Tests, it's probably getting less and less.' The point is that Parling wants to avoid putting the Lions on any sort of pedestal. Australia are underdogs going into the series but that was much the same when they went to Twickenham last autumn only for the Wallabies to beat England 42-37. They kept the receipts of every prediction of the hammering they were supposed to receive against Steve Borthwick's side and it is clear the Wallabies will be similarly fired up going into a series in which the Lions are openly targeting a 3-0 whitewash. 'Our mentality is: let's throw ourselves at them,' Parling said. 'We're not here to sit back and pay homage to the Lions. Let's throw ourselves at them, why wouldn't we? We don't want to die wanting – whilst we do the basics really, really well.' While he has a reputation for being cerebral, particularly when it comes to line-out plays, Parling's coaching philosophy is all about simplicity, which is a lesson he learned from Andy Farrell, then the Lions defence coach, on the 2013 tour. 'He really appealed to my biases, one of my favourite coaches when I was a player,' Parling said. 'He was very simple, great orator, and just a good bloke. But I thought, yeah, just very simple in his delivery, and just went after a few things, and went hard at those. 'He's very aligned to how I believe the best form of defending is. And I don't think coaching… I think sometimes we make it too complicated. And he didn't make it too complicated. He made it simple with a few key points and just chased them. 'If we spoke about anything [to the players] – and again it's going to sound really boring, I'm not going to give you an exciting answer here – it's about doing the basics really, really well. I think the bigger the game you get, the more it's about doing the basics really, really well. By basics I mean: how you tackle, how you carry, how you clean, how sharp your passing is, how accurate your kicking game is. Doesn't sound sexy does it?' Nor – with the greatest respect – does swapping a lifestyle in Melbourne, where the Parlings live 1km from the beach, for Leicester. 'I wouldn't leave here for many opportunities. Leicester was one of those I would do,' Parling said. May Rose, the daughter who was born while he was on the 2013 Lions tour, is now 12 and will return to the UK with an 'Aussie twang', although the 41-year-old now admits he feels somewhat guilty for missing her birth. 'Do you know what? I admitted this to my wife and she said 'I'm glad you finally said it [being selfish]',' Parling said. 'In some ways with my family I was quite a selfish player sometimes and I was lucky, she was very, very, very supportive and still is very supportive. But rugby really, really meant a lot to me and my family means a lot to me. It really, really does. It was a difficult decision but I was probably straight away: I want to go. Thankfully everything was good back there. Players sometimes are a little bit selfish for that respect and I guess looking back I was.'
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Wallabies get Valetini fitness boost ahead of Lions Test
Australia flanker Rob Valetini has resumed training in a boost to the Wallabies (Martin KEEP) Flanker Rob Valetini has resumed training in a big boost for Australia ahead of the first Test against the British and Irish Lions, with assistant coach Geoff Parling Wednesday "very hopeful" the dynamic forward will be fit. The ACT Brumbies stalwart -- arguably Australia's best player -- has been battling a hamstring issue and missed their warm-up clash against Fiji this month. Advertisement But Englishman Parling -- who played for the Lions on their last tour of Australia in 2013 -- said the backrower was making progress and could feature if he passes a fitness final test. "Rob trained (on Tuesday). He's a quality player like everyone knows and we're very hopeful he'll be available for selection," said Parling, who will depart the Wallabies to become Leicester Tigers head coach once the Lions tour is over. There have been suggestions that the Wallabies might not risk Valetini for the first Test in Brisbane on Saturday, with two more Tests to come. But Parling said they would select their strongest team. Advertisement "In terms of saving people for a series, I don't think you'd ever really do that. It's more just if someone's fit and ready to perform, can they improve a team?" he said. "If yeah, we'll get them out there." France-based lock Will Skelton has also been dealing with a niggle, but he too is back training, leaving Parling and Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt with a selection dilemma. Nick Frost and Jeremy Williams hold second row incumbency, but the giant Skelton could prove invaluable given the physical threat posed by the Lions. "It certainly does (complicate things)," admitted Parling, Advertisement "It's different when Will's in there. He brings different attributes that other guys don't have, certainly around the static excursion points like scrum, the maul, other bits, the collision. It makes my job a bit harder." Australia name their matchday 23 on Thursday. With first choice fly-half Noah Lolesio out of the series after neck surgery, the number 10 jersey is up for grabs. Ben Donaldson was initially seen as favourite to take the role, but Tom Lynagh appears to have jumped in front of him with Australian media saying he would get the nod to start. Should Lynagh play, he will match the feat of his father Michael Lynagh, a long-time Wallabies fly-half and trusty kicker, who also played against the Lions in 1989. mp/dh
