Kieran Crowley is the new coach of the Italian rugby team.
This was announced today by the federation during a press conference in Venice attended by the president Marzio Innocenti who unveiled the new staff led by the New Zealand coach, head coach of Benetton Rugby for five years, the technical director Daniele Pacini and the new head of the High Level Rugby Franco Smith, to whom Crowley will succeed at the helm of Italy starting from 1 July 2021 and until 30 June 2024.
For Crowley, sixty on August 31st, the blue bench arrives after a decade with his own province of origin - Taranaki - and following the international experiences gained first with the New Zealand Baby Blacks brought to the world title in the category in 2007, then in the two Rugby World Cups as Head Coach of Canada and, finally, in the five years spent at Benetton Rugby, culminating with the quarter-finals of Guinness PRO14 reached in 2019 by the green-and-white Lions and embellished with the title of coach of the year conferred on him in the same year from the Celtic league.
Together with the former extreme of the All Blacks World Champions in 1987, the scrum specialist and forward Andrea Moretti from the Zebre Rugby Club joined the staff of the men's national team, with Marius Goosen confirmed in the staff with the role of defense technician together with Corrado Pilat assistant for skills and foot play. The former Italian hooker and now deputy vice-president of FIR Giorgio Morelli will cover the role of Head of Delegation appointed by the Council, with the blue wing Giovanbattista Venditti, in the role of logistics manager.