The 2019 Rugby World Cup is now only a memory. It was a tournament that delivered a significant share of the unexpected. Yet what has usually expected after such a competition is that often coaches to these teams move on to a new phase in their careers. Before they do, we want to see which of them topped the ranks of highest-paid coaches during the tournament.
- John Mitchell – With a salary of £300 000 this defence coach to the English Roses is in fifth place. The 55-year-old rugby star was born in Taranaki in New Zealand and is a former player for the country too. Mitchell was a head coach to the All Blacks from 2001 – 2003. After spending time at various other teams in the role of head coach, he joined Eddie Jones in 2018 as defence coach to the English side.
- Steve Hansen – Rated as the best coach in All Black history, Hansen came in fourth on the list of best-paid coaches at an impressive income of £400 000. This former policeman managed to deliver an immaculate success rate with force in black and set an impressive winning record. The rumours, however, seem to get louder that he will be leaving them soon.
- Warren Gatland – £450 000 places Gatland in the third position. The Wales coach managed to get his team in the top four at the RWC after a great year of tremendous success. New Zealand born Gatland comes with a long and successful coaching career that stretches as far back as 1989 when he started his career at the Galwegians RFC. The 56-year-old rugby legend joined Wales in 2007, and since then they have won four Six Nations titles, this included three Grand Slams, and the team managed to reach the semi-finals in both the 2019 and 2011 RWC tournaments.
- Joe Schmidt – Ireland’s Schmidt earns £600 000, and that made him a second position on the ranks of coaches who featured in Tokyo. He too is New Zealand born and has been coaching the Irish team since 2013. The team managed to achieve great success during this period with three Six Nations Championship behind their name, and they also maintained their first-ever victory over the All Blacks.
- Eddie Jones – The coach to the English Roses stands at the top of the ranks with a desirable £750 000 salary. This places him quite a bit ahead of Schmidt and miles ahead of the rest on the list. The success of this Australian born coach earned him the recognition of World Rugby Coach of the Year in 2017. He joined England in 2015 and since then have taken them from strength to strength.
- Pat Lam – Due to him not being one of the coaches in the RWC he can’t really be considered in this list, yet as Director of Rugby at the Bristol Bears, he served as head coach to the team during the Gallagher Premiership Rugby and hence this 51-year-old coach, originally from New Zealand, tops the list with £800 000.