UP294 Warren Gatland

Warren Gatland is one of the most successful coaches of the professional rugby era. His career has spanned the club and international game, with stints in charge of Ireland, Wales and three times the head coach of the British and Irish Lions touring teams to South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. In December 2022, Gatland returned to Wales ahead of the current Guinness Six Nations Championship, a contract that sees him in charge through to the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France, with potential to extend another four years, to the 2027 tournament. This is a very timely conversation on the topic of leadership in sport:  the stories we tell about coaches and managers and how those correlate with the reality of the job. We ask whether teams have a discernible DNA, what type of players have benefited from rugby's Moneyball era and whether team spirit is something viewed through the rear view mirror.It's full of Gatland's trademark honesty and insight at a time when he's in the full glare of the international sports media spotlight, when everything he says is being ransacked for meaning. Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartnerWe publish two podcasts each week, on Tuesday and Friday. These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 500 sports business conversations are available free of charge here. Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series and live events, you can reach us via the website.