‘Honoured’ Pete Wilkins lands a new URC job just 26 days after exiting Connacht with immediate effect

Pete Wilkins has landed a new job in the United Rugby Championship just 26 days after he officially exited Connacht.

It was April 16 when the head coach stepped down with immediate effect at the Irish province having missed a number of their matches due to a sick leave period.

The former assistant coach spoke in his exit statement about how the demands of the head coach role had taken a toll on him since he succeeded Andy Friend, explaining: “The longer I have spent in the role, the further away I have found myself from the aspects of coaching not only that I most enjoy, but also that allow me to contribute most effectively to the team.”

Wilkins will now return to work in Italy in July having secured a three-year deal as the Benetton attack coach. A statement on Monday from the Treviso-based club read: “Benetton Rugby is pleased to announce the appointment of Peter Wilkins as the Lions’ next attack coach. Wilkins will serve from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2028.

“Wilkins held the role of defence coach of Edinburgh from 2015 and in 2017 he moved to Connacht, first as a defence coach and then as an attack coach. In 2022, Wilkins was hired as head coach and over the last three seasons has achieved excellent results and enhanced the skills of many players.”

Wilkins said: “I’m very happy and honoured to join Benetton Rugby and the wider Treviso rugby family. This move represents an exciting new chapter, both for my family and for my coaching career.

“Peter represents the ideal choice…”

“I am very grateful to Antonio Pavanello and Calum MacRae for offering me this opportunity. I look forward to working closely with them, my new colleagues and the group of players to continue to grow Benetton and to develop the undoubted potential of this historic Italian club.”

General manager Pavanello added: “We are very excited to welcome Peter Wilkins to our coaching staff. Together with Calum MacRae, we have conducted a careful assessment of the available profiles and we are convinced that Peter represents the ideal choice to lead and develop our attacking department in the coming years.

“His international experience is broad and varied: he has worked at the highest level in very different rugby contexts, from Australia to Ireland, where he recently had a key role in the leadership of Connacht.

“Peter not only covered the role of attack coach under Andy Friend, he has also gained important experience as a head coach, an element that we consider very valuable to enrich the comparison and the quality of the work of our entire technical staff.

“The Connacht attack, under his direction, has always expressed an effective, dynamic and modern game, characteristics that marry well with our vision and the future objectives of the team.

“We are happy that he has chosen Benetton to continue his career, certain that his contribution will make the difference in the growth of our team and in achieving the objectives we have set ourselves.”

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