Rugby Canada has shared with RugbyPass a video that outlines the method that led to Steve Meehan’s appointment as males’s nationwide staff head coach.
Following the departure of Kingsley Jones final month, Meehan was introduced as the best candidate to guide Canada’s quest for Males’s Rugby World Cup 2027 qualification.
In response to the video, greater than 150 candidates have been thought of as a part of an “intensive” search, with 18 positioned on a longlist that was whittled all the way down to a shortlist of 5.
Former Bathtub and Toulon coach Meehan was employed following an interview involving a number of members of the Rugby Canada board, together with Chair Kathleen McGinn, CEO Nathan Bombrys, Excessive Efficiency Director Stephen Aboud and a World Rugby consultant.
The video states the interview panel have been in “unanimous settlement” that Meehan was the proper particular person for the job.
“The choice to exchange the top coach (Jones) was not a reactive or emotional choice. Fairly, it was a results of analysing the connection between staff outcomes, staff performances, staff choice, staff preparation, employees effectiveness, participant suggestions and staff methods,” the video states.
“A wants evaluation of the staff’s performances in present context was undertaken to supply a coach profile that may finest fulfill the staff’s wants. Six classes have been examined with priorities for the function recognized in every class.”
The video continues: “The profile recognized the necessity for a powerful technical coach relatively than a director of teaching co-ordinator. A candidate with credible excessive efficiency senior teaching expertise and competence in growing staff assault.
“The vary of coaches thought of was intensive, with every coach being examined beneath teaching profile and desired competencies and traits.
“In abstract, over 60 groups have been thought of, together with golf equipment and nationwide groups. Over 150 head coaches and assistant coaches have been thought of.
“The primary identification course of recognized 18 coaches who have been sturdy issues. Additional filtering primarily based on the standing and availability of those coaches resulted in an inventory of 5 coaches recognized.
“Every of those 5 coaches have been contacted on to discover their opinions, views and pursuits.
“Lastly, a prioritised checklist of coaches was recognized from which one of the best match candidate (Meehan) underwent an interview with a illustration of Rugby Canada Chair and two board members, World Rugby Excessive Efficiency Director, Rugby Canada’s CEO and Excessive Efficiency Director.
“Following this assembly, there was a unanimous settlement that this particular person was a wonderful option to assume the function of Canada’s senior males’s 15s head coach.”
Meehan has been charged with returning Canada to Rugby World Cup after they missed out on qualification for the boys’s match in 2023 for the primary time.
