The IRFU have announced the appointment of Aled Walters as head of athletic performance for Ireland.
The appointment is considered somewhat of a coup considering Walters is one of the most decorated coaches in world rugby. He joins from England where he has been head of strength and conditioning since 2023. Before that he was head of athletic performance for South Africa’s Rugby World Cup-winning squad in 2019.
Walter has worked in Ireland before as he was Munster’s head of athletic performance for almost six seasons starting in 2012. He was also head of physical performance for Leicester Tigers between 2020 and 2023.
“I am delighted to join the Ireland national team and am excited about the opportunity to work with such a talented group of coaches and players,” Walters said.
“The Ireland team has gone from strength to strength in recent years and it’s an exciting time to rejoin Irish rugby as the team looks to achieve more success in the years to come.”
IRFU performance director David Humphreys said: “On behalf of the IRFU I am delighted to welcome Aled back to Irish rugby. He is a world-class performance coach who has enormous international experience and he will add significantly to the environment in the years to come.”
Ireland head coach Andy Farrell said: “We are delighted that Aled has agreed to join the Ireland team. He has a wealth of experience and has been a key part of many successful environments over the course of his career to date. I know how excited he is to return to Ireland and hit the ground running and I’m confident that he’ll play an important role in the squad as we embark on a busy international season.”
