Warren Gatland returns to coaching with surprise role in South America
Wales head coach Warren Gatland during the Six Nations Test against Italy.
Former Wales and British and Irish Lions head coach Warren Gatland is set to take on a surprise coaching gig with Super Rugby America (SRA) side Penarol.
The New Zealand-native left his post as Wales boss mid-way through the 2025 Six Nations, after a run of 14-straight defeats, but marks his return to coaching with a new gig at the Uruguayan side ahead of their SRA final.
Warren Gatland lands surprise new role
Confirming the news via their social media channels, the club said: “Welcome, Warren Gatland. The legendary New Zealand coach joins Peñarol as an advisor to Ivo Dugonjic and the entire staff to put all his knowledge to work for the team.”
¡𝗪𝗘𝗟𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗘, 𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗥𝗘𝗡 𝗚𝗔𝗧𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗗ⵑ 👋
El legendario entrenador neozelandés llega a Peñarol como asesor de Ivo Dugonjic y todo el Staff de @CAP__Rugby para volcar todos sus conocimientos al servicio del equipo. pic.twitter.com/79VNOmUYrD
— PEÑAROL | Rugby (@CAP__Rugby) May 26, 2025
The post at Penarol isn’t the only new job Gatland has lined up in the South American country, with reports also suggesting he is set to take on a position within the national side in their bid for World Cup qualification.
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Los Teros will face Paraguay in a qualifier in August, before later going on to play either Chile or Brazil for a spot in the competition in two years time. Uruguay have featured at the previous three World Cups, notably beating Fiji in 2019 and Namibia in 2023.
Gatland is one of the most respected and successful coaches in rugby history. In the club game, he won three Premierships, one Heineken Cup and one European Challenge Cup with Wasps, and also tasted success on the Test stage, too, taking Wales to four Six Nations titles – including three Grand Slams – and also leading them to the top of the world rankings in 2019.
He has also served as British and Irish Lions head coach on three occasions, leading them to a series victory in 2013 against the Wallabies and a drawn series against the All Blacks in 2017.
