Trevor Woodman, the Cornish prop who won the World Cup with England, is being lined up to become a coach of Australia.
By Telegraph Staff
Last Updated: 4:18PM GMT 10 Dec 2008
At the coalface: Trevor Woodman (right) packs down as England prepare for the 2003 World Cup Photo: GETTY IMAGES
Woodman's playing career was cut short by a back injury which forced him to retire at the age of 29, and after moving to Australia in 2005, he has developed a growing reputation as a scrummaging coach.
Now the Australian Rugby Union want Woodman to join their high-performance unit as a specialist forwards coach, after Michael Foley stepped down to join the New South Wales Waratahs.
Foley, the former hooker who also coached Bath, has done a great deal to restore the reputation of Australian forward play and the Wallabies want another specialist to build on his work.
Woodman's coaching career in Australia was not planned. "I just went out to enjoy myself a bit and get used to the fact that I wasn't able to play again," he told the Daily Mail. "Then I started doing the scrum stuff for the Sydney University club once a week and it's all gone from there.
"If the chance came to work in an international environment that would be very exciting. So many international coaches are working across the globe for countries other than those of their birth that it's not an issue any more. It certainly wouldn't be for me, in the same way that it isn't for Brian Smith as an Australian working for England."
The former Gloucester and Sale loosehead is also being pursued by Western Force, the Super 14 outfit coached by John Mitchell.
Clive Woodward's former assistant with England wants Woodman to work with the Perth-based team next month. "Trevor has done an excellent job for Sydney University, who have been the leaders of the club competition and I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up with the Wallabies," Mitchell said. "We want him to do a scrummaging consultancy but the contract has not yet been signed."
