Warren Gatland has admitted that he would not have returned for a second stint as Wales head coach if he knew about the rugby issues in the country.

A turbulent year in Welsh rugby has seen the nation’s top clubs and national union institute budget cuts, while there were threats of a player strike before the Six Nations match against England.

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Wales have finished in fifth place in the past two Six Nations tournaments and have suffered humiliating losses to Georgia and Italy.

Gatland, who took Wales through a golden era in his first stint as head coach between 2007 and 2019, returned to the position in December 2022 after a short stint back in New Zealand with the Chiefs.

However, speaking on the Scrum V podcast he admitted that when he re-joined he did not anticipate the turmoil he was walking into. 

“When I came into the Six Nations, I had no idea. I didn’t realise a lot of the things that were going on and the issues that were behind rugby and the squad and the players,” Gatland said.

“At the time if I had known, I would have made a different decision and probably gone somewhere else.

“Welsh rugby’s going to go through [more] pain from a financial perspective for the regions.

“These issues were here before, but there’s no doubt that the success of the national team in the past probably papered over the cracks.

“Now, probably for the better, they have come to the fore and there is a chance to focus on the things that needed fixing.

“There’s a great chance for us to have a really positive reset on a number of things.

“I feel like we’re in that place now that’s exciting with some of the young talent that’s coming through.”

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