Former Australian Sevens captain Richard Graham is returning home to become the Qantas Wallabies Skills coach.
Graham will join the coaching staff when the team assembles in June, once he has concluded his obligations with Saracens in the English Premiership.
The former Queensland fullback has been on the Saracens coaching staff for the last three years, after initially leaving Australia in 2002, when he signed on as Skills coach at Bath.
?Richard is widely experienced in the skills role and we?re delighted that he has agreed to return home,? Australian Rugby Union High Performance Manager David Nucifora says.
?We?re very mindful that there are a number of Australians working in rugby off-shore. It is good for the game here when we are able to entice them home so Australian Rugby in general ? and especially the Qantas Wallabies ? can gain benefit from their expertise and experience. Richard is a great example of that.?
Nucifora says the appointment, which will see Graham work alongside Qantas Wallabies coach Robbie Deans and his assistant Jim Williams, will help shore up an area of need.
?Robbie identified the area of skills development and maintenance as one where we needed to be better resourced,? Nucifora says.
?Richard coming on-board will lessen the pressure on Robbie in this area while the Wallabies are assembled, allowing him to spend more time on other coaching duties.?
While the Wallabies are not assembled, Graham will be attached to the High Performance Unit and will be available to all levels of the game.
Deans has welcomed the appointment.
?Richard is a quality coach and a quality man,? Deans says.
?He is well regarded by his peers, and his length of service in England is testament to the quality of his work. His services have been highly sort after, so we?re pleased to have him on board.?
His strong background in Sevens, where any skill deficiency is ruthlessly punished, was a huge strength for Graham?s coaching, Deans noted.
?Attention to detail is important in skills work on the training field so that these don?t let the players down when they are operating under pressure in game situations. Having Richard with the group will allow us to place a greater emphasis on this area of our preparation and make improvements,? Deans says.
For his part, Graham is looking forward to returning home and getting started, once he concludes the current Premiership season with Saracens.
"I?ve thoroughly enjoyed my time in England, and learnt a lot at both of the clubs I?ve worked for, but the opportunity to return to Australia and work with our national team was too good to turn down,? Graham says.
?I watched the Wallabies? progress closely last year under Robbie, especially when they were over here for the Spring Tour, and was impressed with what I saw. I know Robbie and Jim have only really just got started, but there is a lot to like about what has been achieved so far, and I?m looking forward to being a part of it.?
Prior to departing for England in 2002, Graham represented Queensland, primarily as a fullback. He also represented Australia A, featuring in the side that beat the British & Irish Lions 28-25 at Gosford during the 2001 Tour.
It is in the abbreviated form of the game that he was perhaps best known during his playing career.
An Australian representative for five years, Graham captained the Australian Sevens side in his last three seasons, featuring in the teams that won IRB Sevens Series tournaments in Brisbane, Wellington, Shanghai and Kuala Lumpur.
He also attended two Commonwealth Games Sevens tournaments, in Malaysia in 1998 where Australia won the bronze medal, and again at Manchester four years later.
