To uplift the hopes of featuring in the Rugby World Cup 2027, Sri Lanka Rugby authorities have decided to recruit former New Zealand 7’s assistant coach Rodney Gibbs to mentor the Tuskers XV at the Asian Rugby Championship 2025. Gibbs will assume his new duty on 26 May and will remain in the role until the end of the Asian Rugby Championship.
Rodney Gibbs began his coaching career with the Bay of Plenty Steamers, serving as an assistant coach from 2013. During 2018, Gibbs transitioned to coaching women’s rugby, taking on the role of Head Coach for the Bay of Plenty Volcanix.
There onwards he climbed the ladder of success to serve as the head coach of the Black Ferns Probables and New Zealand Barbarians. Further, he had done a short but valuable job in Fiji to uplift their players who are at the domestic level.
Gibbs possesses a unique coaching pattern that is not only based on developing the technical and tactical elements of play, but he is also reputed for building a winning culture in the team by building cohesion and hindering the team’s weaknesses by focusing on individual player development. This will be a significant move in Sri Lanka’s high-performance pathway, and surely local boys will benefit in multiple ways to develop the standard of Sri Lanka’s rugby.
Further, this is a landmark decision to elevate the game in the island, which was taken by Mr. Inthi Marikar and his team because the Tuskers suffered for a long period by being isolated in the rugby map due to membership suspension and administration problems. Former Trinity College Rugby Lion, Kandy SC player, and national sevens and fifteens player, Inthi Marikar, who was recently appointed as the Director of Rugby for the National Team, should definitely understand the requirement of a coach who is well experienced in international rugby to guide Sri Lankans to a Rugby World Cup qualification spot.
Former Sri Lankan player and current CR & FC and Royal College head coach Dushanth Lewke, continue as the forwards coach of the national outfit, while past CR & FC and national player Lasintha De Costa, will be join the set up as backs coach.
