Rugby Australia is set to turn to another foreigner for a head coaching position, once again exposing the nation’s recent poor history of developing its own.
The Roar can reveal the governing body is deep in conversations with Liam Barry – a third generation All Black, whose father Kevin and grandfather Ned also played Test rugby – to take over from John Manenti as Australia’s men’s sevens coach. An announcement is expected imminently.
The governing body was caught on the hop following Australia’s fourth-place finish at the Paris Olympics after Manenti, who had spent a decade across the men’s and women’s programs, decided against re-running for the head coaching role.
After advertising for the role, it’s believed that RA was once again caught with their tail between their legs when James Stannard, the former Super Rugby turned sevens regular and assistant coach, pulled out of the running to replace his former colleague.
New Zealander Liam Barry is set to take over from John Manenti as head coach after long-time assistant James Stannard withdrew. (Photo by Bradley Collyer/PA Images via Getty Images)
With no guarantee he was going to get the gig, Stannard continued talks with his former Super Rugby side and signed on with Simon Cron’s coaching team, The Roar revealed late last week.
It was the second blow for RA given Stannard was favoured for the role.
Wanting some sevens experience on their coaching team, the governing body decided against promoting one of their own – Chris Whitaker, Jim McKay and Zak Beer were all interested in the role – and looked abroad to fill the void.
Barry, 53, brings a wealth of experience to the role after spending six years as the New Zealand men’s sevens assistant coach between 2017 and 2022.
Before that the former flanker coached in Japan and New Zealand, including with the Blues alongside Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt.
Liam Barry is a third generational All Black. (Photo by Simon Watts/Getty Images)
Barry’s ascension to the role will raise eyebrows in Australia.
With New Zealander Schmidt in charge of the Wallabies and England’s Jo Yapp the Wallaroos, Barry is the third out of four professional head coaching roles in Australia to come from overseas. Tim Walsh, who will continue to coach the women’s sevens team, is the only Australian in a fully professional coaching role.
The decision once again shines a light on the staggering fall in Australia’s coaching ranks.
Indeed, two of the past three Wallabies coaches have come from New Zealand after Dave Rennie spent three years in the role before being shown the door in early 2023.
The men’s and women’s sevens teams will be out to respond from their disappointing final days in Paris when they take to the field in the Dubai Sevens later this month.
