Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh has left the door open for Michael Cheika to return as head coach of the Wallabies.
The position became vacant after Eddie Jones departed following a tumultuous year for Australian rugby, marked by the national team’s disappointing performance in the World Cup under Jones.
Cheika recently stepped down as Argentina’s head coach, achieving notable successes during his tenure, including victories over the All Blacks and the Wallabies.
Despite rumors suggesting World Rugby’s Peter Horne as a candidate for the high-performance director role, Waugh expressed that the process for appointing a head coach is yet to commence.
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When questioned about Cheika’s potential candidacy, Waugh told AAP: “Everyone’s in the hunt… We haven’t gone to market with it yet.”
“We’re hoping to announce our high-performance director this week and then get in the process of going to market for a head coach,” he said.
“We’re certainly not advanced in conversations, or in any conversations with anyone really.”
The 79-Test former flanker emphasised the significance of the high-performance position, highlighting to The Roar: “It’s the biggest job on my leadership team in terms of the impact it has on the general sentiment around the game.”
According to reports, the RA aims to fill the role by 25 December.
Photo: Damien Meyer/AFP