Michael Cheika named head coach of English Premiership giants as Wales star gets new boss

Former Wallabies boss Michael Cheika has been named head coach of Gallagher Premiership club Leicester Tigers.

Cheika will now be in charge of Wales openside flanker Tommy Reffell at Mattioli Woods Welford Road stadium, and replaces the recently departed Dan McKellar.

The 57-year-old is the former head coach of Australia and Argentina, and has been at the helm for both sides in Rugby World Cups. He also guided Leinster to a Heineken Champions Cup win against Tigers in 2009 and secured a Super Rugby win with NSW Waratahs in 2014.

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Speaking to Tigers about his decision to come and coach in the Premiership, Cheika explained: "I wasn’t looking at the Premiership and didn’t have the desire to coach in it until Leicester Tigers came to me; the opportunity to coach at Tigers and lead this group of players is what turned my head.

"It has all happened relatively quickly and so to make that decision, it has to be based on it being a place that I would like to be a part of and a group that I want the chance to lead. It is somewhere that I want to be."

Last season, Tigers finished in a less-than-satisfactory position of eighth, completely missing out on the play-offs. This is a fall from grace considering the club's rich history, having won the league as recently as 2022. It's now up to iconic coach Cheika to turn things around for next season.

The Australian boss also has coaching experience at Stade Francais in the Top 14, and even had a stint with Lebanon at the Rugby League World Cup. While he was coach of Argentina, he also had commitments as director of rugby for NEC Green Rockets in Japan - which is where former Wales star Jake Ball plies his trade.