Ospreys Rugby are delighted to announce the appointment of Brad Davis as Defence Coach.
- Sydney born Davis has been appointed Defence Coach after three years in similar role at Wasps
- Previously spent seven years as Defence Coach at Bath, where he also had skills duties
- Played rugby league at Huddersfield, Wakefield and Castleford before gaining first coaching experience at Villeneuve in France, and back at Castleford
- "This is the first of a number of planned changes" confirms MD, Andrew Millward
The vastly experienced Australian will link up with the region at Llandarcy Academy of Sport when the squad reports back for pre-season training next month.
Regarded as one of the leading defence specialists in the northern hemisphere club game, Sydney born Davis has gathered a wide range of experience in both the league and union codes over a period of more than 20 years.
Speaking about his move to the Ospreys, Davis said:
“This is a fascinating challenge for me, one that I can’t wait to get started on.
“Speaking at length to Steve Tandy, I couldn’t help but get excited about the direction in which the Ospreys are heading and where they want to go. His passion is infectious and the vision is clear.
“There’s a core of world class players at the Ospreys and some incredible young talent starting to make a mark, and I couldn’t resist the challenge of working with them and helping them develop.
“The first challenge will be to look at the needs of the players ready for pre-season, to work collectively with the coaches and players to identify what we want to be and what our key principles will be. Once we’ve done that, we can then put in some firm foundations that should allow us to really achieve what we want as a team, in all facets of our game.”
Andrew Millward, Managing Director, Ospreys Rugby, welcomed Davis to the region.
“This is a significant appointment for the Ospreys and we are delighted that Brad has agreed to be join us from next season” said Millward.
“His experience of different environments, in rugby league and at two leading Premiership clubs, give him a point of difference to what we already have within our organisation. His knowledge and undoubted expertise will give everybody a real boost and I know that he can’t wait to get started.
“We’ve been conducting a wide review of the organisation for some time, through which we were able to identify the need for this role. We’ve taken our time to find the right person, with the character, background and skillset to make an impact in our environment. Undoubtedly, Brad is that man.
“It’s clear that, even with this appointment, we are under resourced in comparison to our competitors, and the board have agreed increased investment into the wider support team and, accordingly, this is the first of a number of planned changes.
“What Brad’s arrival will do, is release Steve Tandy to take a more strategic view, with another vastly experienced coach to help share the workload on a day to day basis.”
In rugby league, he played at stand-off, scrum half and hooker for Huddersfield, Wakefield Trinity, Castleford Tigers (where he is a hall of fame inductee) and Villeneuve in France, where he also took up his first coaching role, before returning to Castleford where he combined his final playing days with the post of Assistant Coach.
In 2006 he switched codes to join Bath as Defence Coach where he made a huge impact, helping the club towards a European Challenge Club win in 2008 and three consecutive Premiership semi-finals at a time when Bath were regarded as having one of the meanest defences in England. During his time with Bath, he also took on additional skills based responsibilities.
He left the Rec in the summer of 2013 to join Wasps as Defence Coach, where he has enhanced his reputation as the club enjoyed improved fortunes on the field. Wasps are currently preparing for the Aviva Premiership semi finals, where they face Exeter away on 21st May.
