Cardiff attack coach search continues after target secures new role

Former England winger and Matt Banahan has landed a job as backs/attack coach of Championship outfit Hartpury RFC.

It is the 39-year-old’s first full-time coaching role in the men’s professional game, with the Bath legend having previously worked with Scotland Women and latterly Gloucester-Hartpury in Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR).

Banahan and Hartpury Rugby Head of Performance, Martin Haag, share a Bath connection and he was a member of the same Scotland coaching team as Haag.

The Bath Rugby Hall of Famer had been on Cardiff’s radar but he has opted to stay much closer to home.

“It’s good news for us, we have been trying to get someone in for a while. He’s been doing a little bit of coaching with us, with the RFC anyway, because Luke Cozens left; he’s a good young coach,” said Haag.

“He’ll do backs/attack for the RFC and he’ll be lead coach on the AASE programme as well. He’ll fit under Tim Brockett who’s the senior academy manager but he’ll do a lot of the delivery, so he’s got a dual role.”

Hartpury RFC qualified for the end-of-season play-offs in the Champ after finishing the regular season in sixth. However, a 28-25 defeat to Coventry in the quarter-finals saw their campaign come to an end this weekend.

Banahan will join a coaching staff led by long-serving head coach Mark Cornwell, which includes other retired PREM players in Ashley Johnson (defence) and Ryan Bower (scrum).