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Rugby Australia have named former All Black and NZ Sevens assistant coach Liam Barry to coach the national men’s seven squad.
He is a third-generation All Black who spent almost six years in the NZ Sevens system under current Super Rugby (Wellington) Hurricanes boss Clark Laidlaw.
“I’m very excited to take the team into the next cycle off the back of what they’ve done at the Paris Olympics,” Barry said in a statement.
“It’s a great base to start from and it’s a credit to John (Manenti) and the management with what they’ve done in the last cycle.”
Barry says he is not interested in rebuilding the team.
“I’m not looking to reinvent the wheel but rather build on what is already there,” he says.
“The players are fit, fast and skillful and I’m looking forward to working with them.”
Barry will take charge in his first tournament at the end of the month as the world series begins in Dubai.
“We are delighted to welcome Liam to Australian rugby as head coach of our men’s sevens side,” RA Head of High Performance Peter Horne says.
“Liam’s proven track record in winning environments, combined with his passion for developing young talent perfectly aligns with the direction we are taking.
“Our men’s sevens side had their best-ever finish at an Olympic games in August and are consistently one of the teams to beat on the global stage,” Horne says.
“We believe Liam is the ideal person to build a strong connection and successful playing group in the future.”
During Barry’s stint with NZ Sevens, the Kiwis’ title haul included the Commonwealth Games-World Cup Sevens gold double in 2018, the 2020-21 World Series and silver at the Tokyo Olympics.
Barry played one game for the All Blacks, against France, in 1995. His father, Kevin, and grandfather Ned were also All Blacks.
After he retired, Barry joined the Auckland-based Blues (Super Rugby) side as assistant coach in 2006 before he took over at North Harbour, who play in NZ rugby’s domestic provincial competition.
