Overview

• On The Dom Harvey Podcast, the 62-year-old described the death of his first child, Shauna, as having a significant, lasting impact on his life.
• Shauna was born in Galway with severe spina bifida in January 1992 and died at four months, with a specialist later rating the condition as “nine out of 10.”
• Gatland said prenatal scans showed no issues, he was on a rugby trip to Australia when Shauna died, and it took him years to process the grief.
• He said the experience underpins a family‑first approach in his teams, routinely allowing players time off for scans, childcare needs, or personal matters.
• He and wife Trudi later had Gabby and Bryn, the family mark Shauna’s birthday with candles, and Gatland reflected on his Wales career including leaving in 2025 during a record losing run after saying the pressure wore him down.