Six Nations: Welsh Rugby Union rejects Warren Gatland resignation after Wales finish bottom of the table
/dnl.eurosport.com/sd/img/placeholder/eurosport_logo_1x1.png){kind=logo}
ByOli Gent
Updated 16/03/2024 at 23:00 GMT
Warren Gatland has revealed that he offered his resignation to the Welsh Rugby Union chief executive in the immediate aftermath of Wales' 24-21 home defeat by Italy at the Six Nations. The loss confirmed Wales' first wooden spoon at the tournament for 21 years, as Gatland's side lost every single one of their five games, making it 12 defeats in their last 13 Six Nations encounters.
CARDIFF, WALES - FEBRUARY 03: Warren Gatland, Head Coach of Wales, looks on during the warm up prior to the Guinness Six Nations 2024 match between Wales and Scotland at Principality Stadium on February 03, 2024 in Cardiff, Wales. (Photo by Richard Heathc
Image credit: Getty Images
Warren Gatland has revealed that he offered his resignation to the Welsh Rugby Union as soon as Wales had been defeated 24-21 by Italy at the Principality Stadium, leaving them bottom of the Six Nations table for the first time in 21 years.
Gatland, who returned to the Welsh helm in 2022 after resigning three years earlier, saw his side lose all five matches in their Six Nations campaign.
Last year, Wales had been knocked out in the quarter-finals of the World Cup by Argentina 29-17 at the Stade Velodrome.
Speaking to the BBC after Wales' latest loss, Gatland said that he had gone straight to WRU chief executive Abi Tierney to offer his resignation.
"I just said to Abi in the changing room if you want me to resign, I'm quite happy to do that," Gatland said. "She said, 'Like hell, that's the last thing I want, that's what I'm really afraid of'.
"But I can promise you we'll go away and review this really carefully. We've already done some review stuff and [we'll] work on areas that need to improve."
Gatland did reiterate that it was his intention to lead the side into the 2027 World Cup, which is to be hosted in Australia.
The New Zealander appeared confident in his ability to be able to turn the tide and put a halt to Wales' poor run of form.
"I've never shied away from that," Gatland asserted. "We've had glimpses where we've been really good in this tournament. We need to do that for longer periods."
This Six Nations campaign has been tough for Wales, who, along with their defeat to Italy, have suffered narrow defeats at the hands of England - by two points (16-14) - and Scotland, by a single point (27-26).
"We're hurting as coaches and players," Gatland said. "I know the fans are hurting.
"It doesn't help, but I can see light at the end of the tunnel because we've got a fantastic group of guys who I know have worked hard.
"There is a huge amount of inexperience, haven't played a lot of regional rugby and we're exposing them at the Test level.
"It's a real challenge. I said to the players in the changing room that when they turn up to the summer tour, make sure they're doing their extras and work-ons conditioning-wise, the gym work and that they're ready to go.
"This rebuild isn't harder than we thought. We knew the inexperience we had in the squad and the players we asked to step up to leadership roles.
"It's about taking the good out of the games and showing what we need to do."
- - -
TNT Sports presents the premium live sports rights previously carried by BT Sport including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Gallagher Premiership Rugby, Investec Champions Cup, EPCR Challenge Cup, MotoGP, Cricket, UFC, Boxing and WWE. The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination.
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement