Rugby Australia has implemented significant changes to rebuild Australian rugby following the disappointment of the recent World Cup campaign, with the appointments of Peter Horne as the new Director of High-Performance and the return of David Nucifora to Australian rugby.
Bringing close to 14 years of experience in high-performance, Peter Horne has been appointed as the Director of High-Performance at Rugby Australia. Having held similar roles at World Rugby and played a pivotal role in developing high-performance pathways and programs in various developing nations, Horne’s responsibilities at Rugby Australia will include overseeing the high-performance programs of the Wallabies, Wallaroos, and sevens teams, as well as aligning the high-performance programs of the Super Rugby clubs. His immediate tasks will include the selection of the next Wallabies coach and the development of a new structure for the Wallabies staff.
Despite the challenges ahead, Horne expressed his enthusiasm about the positive developments in Australian Rugby, citing the recent success of the women’s sevens team and the progress shown by the men’s team. He also highlighted the improvements in the Wallaroos’ performance and the determination to strengthen their program with a new full-time head coach and dedicated high-performance manager. Horne looks forward to collaborating with the Australian Rugby community to drive sustainable success for the national teams.
Meanwhile, David Nucifora will return to Australian rugby after almost a decade, assuming an advisory role to assist in creating a centralized high-performance system. Having played a crucial role in Ireland’s rise to become the number one men’s XVs nation in the world, Nucifora will bring his wealth of experience in delivering successful high-performance rugby structures.
Rugby Australia’s CEO, Phil Waugh, has expressed confidence in the appointments of Horne and Nucifora, acknowledging their expertise and understanding of the high-performance environments. He emphasized the importance of building a system that is more fit-for-purpose for Australian Rugby, drawing from similar structures and applying them locally.
The new appointments come as Rugby Australia aims to set the stage for a successful future, with Horne scheduled to commence his role in March. The search for a new Wallabies coach will begin before the new year, with the goal of finalizing the appointment before the start of the Super Rugby Pacific in February.
With the arrival of Horne and the return of Nucifora, there is an air of optimism as Australian rugby looks towards a new era of revitalization and growth under their leadership.