FORMER Australia attack coach Jim McKay will be arriving at Worcester Warriors later this month for an initial four-week period.
Warriors director of rugby Dean Ryan says McKay is coming in as a consultant and believes the former Cornish Pirates head coach will offer a valuable pair of eyes.
“We are going to have an experienced person around who has been in different environments and worked with some pretty talented players. He has also worked in the Championship,” said Ryan.
“I just thought it was an invaluable combination and to allow Jim to come in and look at our organisation and to provide a nice sounding board for Sam Vesty at a time when he is bouncing around with ideas.
“It’s also for Carl Hogg and I to help us look at some different ways of preparing for things and innovative ideas.
“It’s being selfish and grabbing knowledge off people around the game and, from the bits I have spoken about with Jim, he’s the perfect person to just come.”
McKay was part of Ewen McKenzie’s backroom set-up for Australia, helping the Wallabies to the Rugby Championship final in 2014.
He previously spent four years as senior assistant coach at Super Rugby side Queensland Reds, helping the club win the Super 15 title in 2011.
McKay, who began his coaching career at Stourbridge almost two decades ago, also had a spell as assistant academy manager at Leicester Tigers.
Ryan said: “Jim’s passionate about the development of people which we have set the club up to become. He knows the Championship, the play-offs and the people.
“We will get another set of eyes looking at our opponents.
“He’s here for three or four weeks and if we like each other, he will look at another three or four weeks and just see how it goes. In combination with Sam, it’s a great opportunity for us as well.
“If I felt there was someone out there who could add to this place why wouldn’t I look at doing something about it?
“At the moment, we are really comfortable with developing people. We think we have enough experience in the coaching set-up.”
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