Toby Booth confirmed as Ospreys head coach

Adam Kyriacou

Ospreys have announced that Toby Booth has been appointed as their new head coach, arriving at the PRO14 side on a three-year deal at the end of the season.

Booth comes to the region with a reputation as a deep rugby thinker, good communicator and as a charismatic coach who has a reputation for player and coach development.

He is an innovative coach who is renowned for building relationships with players and he achieved success during a four-year tenure as head coach at London Irish, guiding them to Premiership and Challenge Cup finals and three successive Champions Cup qualifications.

Booth served as first team coach at Bath from 2012 until June 2019 where the team again reached Premiership and Challenge Cup finals.

He is currently fulfilling a short-term contract with Harlequins where he has teamed up with former Ospreys, Wales and Lions prop, Adam Jones, who is now the scrum guru at the Stoop.

“When the opportunity was presented to join such an iconic Welsh team, based in an area that has a deep passion for the game, it made it an extremely attractive proposition,” said Booth.

“The Ospreys is a side full of rich talent and international experience. It is an ambitious group and has good potential to improve.

“Having developed players throughout my career, I look forward to adding value to this squad of players and developing their performances on the pitch.

“This rich rugby region has always produced young talent. The ability to help players reach their potential was a contributing factor in wanting this role.

“A team that has high numbers of home-grown talent is exciting for coaches and supporters. It helps achieve greater levels of consistency in effort as they are emotionally connected to the team.”

Mike Ruddock, the Ospreys performance director, said: “We are pleased to announce Toby Booth as the head coach of the Ospreys. Toby is a vastly experienced coach who has proven himself over many years in the English Premiership with London Irish, Bath and Harlequins.

“He is an excellent communicator and an innovative coach. His track record of developing a high performance rugby programme impressed the interview panel and the senior players that met with him during the recruitment process.

“There were a number of outstanding candidates on our short list however Toby’s ability to outline his impressive coaching philosophy and his rugby specific knowledge marked him out as a stand out coach.

“The Ospreys Board would like to thank the WRU for their involvement and support for our recruitment process and we look forward to Toby taking charge next season.”

Harlequins