Stephen Larkham is open to coaching the Wallabies but clarified that he hasn’t had talks with Rugby Australia regarding the vacancy left by Eddie Jones.
Larkham, a 1999 World Cup winner, emphasised his commitment to improving Australian rugby and growing the game. Alongside former Brumbies boss Dan McKellar, Larkham is considered a front-runner for the Wallabies top job.
Despite being viewed as a leading contender, the former Wallabies star coach stated that he hasn’t received calls from the RA and remains focused on his current role as head coach of the Brumbies.
“We’ve got a real philosophy here to make sure we are growing the game as an organisation,” he has been quoted in the media.
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“So however I can help in terms of improving our results and improving our growth within the sporting arena, I’d love to be involved.
“We’ve sort of got a fair bit on, RA have got a fair bit on at the moment and I’m very focused here on my job.”
Larkham, who served as the Wallabies’ attack coach from 2015 to 2019, acknowledged the challenges faced during the recent Rugby World Cup. Reflecting on Jones’ approach to building a younger team, he expressed understanding of the philosophy.
“I understood Eddie’s philosophy there in terms of bringing the younger group together and seeing if we can jag something … there was potential we were going to do that,” he added.
Photo: Patrick Hamilton/AFP