Stuff Sports
9 February, 2021, 5:40 pm
Neil Barnes has been appointed as the head coach for the Yarrows Taranaki Bulls for the next two years. (file photo).
A former player and assistant coach has been appointed as head coach for the Yarrows Taranaki Bulls rugby team.
Neil Barnes, who was the team’s assistant coach in 2020, currently coaches at the Gallagher Chiefs and played lock for the region in 1986.
He replaces Taranaki Bulls head coach Willie Rickards, who finished his three-year contract at the end of 2020.
In a press statement Barnes, who has signed a two-year deal with the union, said he was grateful for the opportunity to return to coach his home province.
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“I am a Taranaki person at heart, born and bred, love my province and the people in it deep down. “It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone who knows me, that I am genuinely excited about returning home and taking on the head coach role.” Barnes, who has eight years international coaching experience with Fiji and Canada, including three World Cup campaigns, said he felt fortunate to be involved with the Yarrows Taranaki Bulls team last season. “We had our ups and downs, but we’ve got a good group of young men there who I believe will get better.”
Stuff
Taranaki rugby officials are optimistic the glory days of being Ranfurly Shield holders in 2020 will return soon.
Taranaki Rugby officials have reported a high number of inquiries, locally and overseas, from interested parties wanting to coach the Bulls championship squad in 2021. The union will head to the market before the end of the year to replace former head coach Willie Rickards, who resigned at the end of the 2020 Mitre Cup season. Taranaki Rugby chairman Andrew Thompson and chief executive Laurence Corlett said the union was optimistic a head coach could be appointed by February before a new coaching group was announced.