Lagisquet Joins Romania As Rugby Consultant

Former Portugal Head Coach Brings World Cup Experience to Romanian Rugby

Lagisquet has already begun his consulting service, assisting the Romanian Wolves as they prepare for their 2024 debut in the Rugby Europe Super Cup /

By Priscilla Jepchumba

Former Portuguese national rugby team head coach Patrice Lagisquet will join the Romanian rugby union for the next few weeks or even longer to upgrade their backroom staff.

Patrice Lagisquet started his coaching career at Biarritz Olympique in France, where he won multiple titles. He later became the Director of Rugby for Biarritz Olympique and also coached the French national team's backs and defense.

In 2019, Lagisquet became Portugal's head coach and led the team to its second appearance in the Rugby World Cup in 2023.

Lagisquet took a sabbatical from coaching the team after December’s 2023 Rugby World Cup campaign, and the Romanian union has hired him as a consultant after rumors of his next move have swirled for the last five months.

At a December 2023 meeting, the Romanian Rugby Union selected David Gérard as the new head coach and selector of the Romanian Wolves, the Rugby Europe Super Cup franchise. Gérard has implemented significant changes to his staff.

Lagisquet and Gérard are good friends who have remained in touch for a long time now. According to Lagisquet, the two met when he was invited to join the Lobos team during the 2023 World Cup. These were probably the moments he missed most when he was at the Wolves; now, it is Lagisquet supporting the Wolves.

Lagisquet has already started his consultancy service, and he is helping the Romanian Wolves prepare for their 2024 initial match in the Rugby Europe Super Cup.

Romania and Portugal will again face off in the same pool in the upcoming Men’s Rugby Europe Championship 2025. The two teams on top will directly qualify for the Rugby World Cup, which will be held in 2027.

The Romania Union tweeted on its X account, “The Romanian Wolves welcomed a special guest this week, Patrice Lagisquet. Working as a consultant, Lagisquet has already started working with the team, joining head coach David Gérard. Both have previously worked for the Portuguese rugby union.”

The Wolves are scheduled to play their first game on Sunday. They will travel to the Czech Republic to take on the Bohemia Rugby Warriors.