IRISHMAN JACK HANRATTY has been appointed interim head coach of the Canada women’s Sevens team ahead of the upcoming HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series rounds in Dubai (26-27 November, 3-4 December).
The Dubliner has worked across many levels of Canadian rugby for the past nine years, and was a development officer with Leinster for five years before crossing the Atlantic.
Hanratty will lead Canada to Dubai while Rugby Canada undergo the final stages of their recruitment process to find a permanent successor to John Tait, who resigned in April following a complaint issued against him by current and former players. An independent review into the complaint cleared Tait of bullying or harassment as defined by Rugby Canada policy but left his position untenable. He has since taken up a technical director’s role with B.C. Rugby.
Skerries RFC club man Hanratty was described by Rugby Canada CEO Allen Vansen as “an obvious selection to lead our women’s team into the upcoming HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series event in Dubai while we finalise our recruitment process for a permanent head coach.”
“We expect to have a permanent coach in-place for when the team returns after the holiday season,” Vansen added.
Hanratty, who first led Rugby Nova Scotia on his arrival in Canada in 2012, has since filled roles as assistant coach of the Canada Women’s 15s Team, head coach of the U20 Women’s 15s Team, Rugby Canada academy coach with CSC Atlantic and, most recently, assistant coach for the national women’s team at the 2021 HSBC Canada Sevens Fast Four events in Vancouver and Edmonton.
He will also continue in his advisory roles with CSC Atlantic and Rugby Nova Scotia while under contract with the Canada women’s Sevens team.
Hanratty will be joined by the University of Victoria Vikes Women’s head coach Brittany Waters in a supporting role while Canada prepare for Dubai in a training camp in Langford, B.C.
Bernard Jackman, Murray Kinsella, and Gavan Casey assess the provinces’ first URC blocks and look ahead to November for the Ireland men’s and women’s teams on The42 Rugby Weekly:
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