The return.

The IRFU have announced the appointment of Aled Walters as their new Head of Athletic Performance for the men’s team.

Walters is one of the most decorated coaches in world rugby and the Welshman joins from England Rugby where he has been their Head of Strength & Conditioning since 2023. Prior to that he was the Head of Athletic Performance for South Africa’s Rugby World Cup winning squad in 2019.

He began his long association with Irish rugby in 2012 when he was Munster Rugby’s Head of Athletic Performance for almost six seasons and he was the Leicester Tigers Head of Physical Performance between 2020 and 2023. Additionally, he has held senior Performance roles with the Brumbies and the Taranaki Rugby Football Union.

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. I would like to wish Aled well in his role and we look forward to working with him ahead of the start of the Autumn Nations Series.”

Ireland Men’s Head Coach, Andy Farrell, added:

“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, starting with the Autumn Nations Series this November. Aled replaces Jason Cowman who departed after the Guinness Six Nations success in March. Jason contributed a huge amount to Irish rugby over 15 years and we thank him for his incredible service over that time.”