Kieran Crowley leaves Italrugby after the World Cup

Kieran Crowley leaves Italrugby after the World Cup

Italy’s rugby coach Kieran Crowley will leave his post at the end of the 2023 World Cup in France, which will be held from Sept. 8 to Oct. 21. This was announced by the FIR, which decided not to renew the contract of the New Zealand coach, who won the world title as a player in 1987 with the All Blacks and came to the Azzurri’s bench in September 2021 to replace Franco Smith.

“Now that we have decided to end our relationship with Crowley after the World Cup, it is time for a balance sheet, and Kieran’s one with Italian rugby is very positive,” says Federrugby president Marzio Innocenti. “He has raised a group of boys, making them become men and players of high international level, and for this we will be eternally grateful to him. But our work together is not over yet, we have an exciting adventure left to live in France and I am sure that Kieran and his team will leave their indelible mark in the history of Italian rugby.”

“I would have liked to have been involved with the Italian national team for the next World Cup cycle as well and I am sorry about FIR’s choice not to extend my contract,” Crowley replies. We have a young team that has gained good experience over the past year, with performances that have shown improvement in many areas. With a World Cup and four more years of international matches we will have a group averaging 50-60 caps, an exciting prospect. Unfortunately, I will not be part of this journey and now have to think about the tournament in France. I will be 100 percent committed to the staff to prepare this group of players in the best way.”

Crawley’s record on the Azzurri bench stands at six wins and 13 defeats, and he has scored two of the most celebrated victories of the professional era, overcoming Wales in Cardiff in the 2021 Six Nations and registering his first-ever success against Australia.