Overview
- The NSW Waratahs announced on Wednesday that Michael Cheika will return as head coach for the 2027 Super Rugby Pacific season on a one-year deal with a club-held option for 2028.
- Cheika will reunite with halfbacks Bernard Foley and Nick Phipps, who rejoined the Waratahs earlier this month and were key figures in the club’s 2014 title run.
- Cheika is currently an assistant at NRL side the Sydney Roosters and reports say he may coach Lebanon at the Rugby League World Cup before starting with the Waratahs, though the Lebanon role is not confirmed by the club.
- The appointment follows Dan McKellar’s June exit after the Waratahs finished eighth last season and reflects the club’s move to hire a proven turnaround coach with a record that includes a 2014 Super Rugby title and a 2015 World Cup final.
- Expect staff changes as Cheika assembles a backroom team, with some reports naming former Wallabies figures as likely assistants, and the short contract gives the club a chance to judge progress before committing to a longer term.