It’s enough to make English sports fans choke on their warm beer.
Australian coaches are now at the helm of three of the nation’s major sporting sides after Wayne Bennett was appointed to guide England’s rugby league team toward the 2017 World Cup.
He joins Eddie Jones, whose reign as England’s rugby union side starts in earnest when the Six Nations tournament kicks off this weekend, and Trevor Bayliss, who took over the national cricket team last May.
>> Colonials take the helm of England’s sporting ships
The three high-profile national team appointments for Australians in the last nine months follow a trend that strengthened in the lead up to the London Olympics.
Notably Australian cycling coaches helped hosts Great Britain to win 13 medals, including eight golds, in London.
The best known was Shane Sutton, the current technical director of British Cycling, now targeting the Rio Olympics.
In the water in 2012, Australian Paul Thompson helped guide their double scull pair to rowing gold ahead of Aussies Kim Crow and Brooke Pratley, while Aussie Paul Reedy helped Great Britain to gold in the double scull.
Those appointments followed that of Aussie Bill Sweetenham as national swimming performance director after Great Britain’s barren 2000 Sydney Olympics.
He helped them rebound to eight medals, including two golds, at the 2003 World Championships in Barcelona.
Now if only the British could find an Australian to teach them how to keep their beer in a refrigerated state.
Russ
Guest
"Now if only the British could find an Australian to teach them how to keep their beer in a refrigerated state." I know let's make a set of unconnected events that happen to include Australians getting jobs they're eminently qualified for and make a story up about it. As if there weren't enough imaginary stories eminating from the uk press in their obsequious support for the conservative government without this. And then the icing on the cake a warm beer stereotype that would have looked right at home in a Bud Tingwell film. By the way do all those coaches of the British cycle team come with their own hats with corks on strings?
Brando
Guest
Thank you John, How can Rugby league develop in other parts of the world when you have coaches from rugby league power house nations exchanging coaching roles. Pacific Island Nations, African nations, and others need to further develop rugby league if we want to see good competition between different countries and their players. Is it because of open check books that good rugby league coaches are drawn away from rugby league developing nations? A slap in the face to the rugby league developing nations just because of the open check book.
William Dalton Davis
Roar Rookie
I don't see the problem. He's a coach who is going to coach England after missing out on the Australia job. He was also assistant/mentor coach for NZ in 08. Another thing is the arguement that he's coached just about every player in the Australia side so shouldn't be allowed to coach a rival nation. That doesn't make sense. He's coached just about every player at Newcastle and coached against them. He's coached every player at the dragons and Broncos before leaving and coaching against them as well. This is a very savvy decision by the way northern boys and could end up paying big dividends, or they'll bow out in the semis like usual because they simply don't have what it takes to knock off a full strength Aus or NZ. Either way they couldn't have picked a better coach to get the best out of the players.
Squidward
Roar Rookie
I don't think I went north enough. Never left London but there or Ireland I never tasted a warm beer. I'm thinking it must be some myth
John Cooper
Roar Rookie
"I didn't get Australia's top job so I'll show them my greatness somewhere else." Treacherous at worst, disloyal at best. Brisbane and it's open check book (third party) suits him to a tee. It's all legal but bad look.
William Dalton Davis
Roar Rookie
If you can't join 'em, beat 'em. That doesn't sound right...
Muzz
Guest
You beat me to it. Apparently he's applying for dual citizenship. Waiting for the family tree to be sent up from map a Tassie.
rasty
Guest
Also tried a Saffa with cricket, equally unsuccessful.
rasty
Guest
We tried the Kiwi coach in union... did not go so well.
The eye
Guest
Will Darius be taking over from Tomkins at fullback ?
Adsa
Guest
And so rolls on the circle of sports, coaches and nationalities!
MJB
Guest
On that same basis, maybe we should appoint a Kiwi coach for cricket, league and union... seems we could learn a thing or two.
Brett McKay
Expert
I'm starting to think that Bennett has a secret tracksuit top fetish!
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
Not a single person in England and Australia will care that Bennett was England's coach if they win the Four Nations and/or the World Cup. The English will love their boys and Australians will come out in drove to see the team that beat them.
maximillian
Guest
Bennett's the best coach in the business so this could be a game changer for England. They beat the Kiwis on the last tour & were close in the 4 Nations so he might be the missing piece that takes them to the next level.