Over five years in Wales, he was charged with his team to
look at the infrastructures of rugby in the country and devise initiatives to
improve them. Having overlooked rugby at both grass roots and international
level, including restructuring the player pathway to the national side, he is
now joining the RFU as the head of international player development.
His past experience included being capped 32 times by Great
Britain in rugby league, performing as technical director for the Rugby
Football League, and coaching the English Rugby Union senior backs and 7s.
He said: “I am sad to be leaving Wales, but the challenge of
playing such a pivotal role in the development of English rugby at this time is
one I had to take up.
“Welsh rugby is in great shape and I leave behind a team of
people more than capable of achieving the goals we have set.
“The experience I have gained across the past five years
with the WRU will set me in great stead for the exciting new challenge ahead.”
WRU Group chief executive Roger Lewis, said: “I am
personally and professionally sad to see Joe leave, but the whole of Welsh
rugby will always be grateful to him for what he has achieved during his time
in Wales.
“In Joe we chose the right man to introduce an unprecedented
scale of change and reform, which had to be achieved for the continued growth
of our game.
“The reforms he has helped introduce mean we now have a
clear vision of the way forward and the structures in place to achieve our
objectives.
“During our next phase of development we will be making sure
that all the important relationships thrive across the game, so that we can
work together to protect and develop rugby in Wales at all levels.
“Joe leaves with our gratitude for what he has done, and our
best wishes for the future in his new role.”
The WRU has already begun for his successor, and an
announcement will be made in due course.
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