OUTGOING IRFU HIGH-PERFORMANCE director David Nucifora will take up an advisory role with Rugby Australia in the new year.

The former Brumbies coach and Wallabies hooker will begin his work with Rugby Australia from Ireland in March, while also assisting his IRFU successor David Humphreys as part of a handover process.

Nucifora will then move back to Australia upon the completion of the Sevens tournament at the Paris Olympics and take on an increased role as high-performance advisor to his home union.

Nucifora will work under Rugby Australia’s new high-performance director Peter Horne, who will oversee all forms of rugby union in the country from February onwards.

Horne has spent the last 11 years as World Rugby’s high-performance director following previous roles with Saracens, Samoa, the Equestrian Federation of Australia, and Australian Canoeing.

His and Nucifora’s first major task will be to appoint a new head coach of the Wallabies following the departure of Eddie Jones, who has since taken the top coaching job with Japan.