Carey confirms the addition of McCaffrey and Giteau to Gungahlin Eagles 2023 coaching lineup
Eagles Life Member and 2022 Head Coach, Glenn Carey, will lead a formidable coaching roster as the Eagles Coaching Director, to provide guidance to all coaches in the rugby program.
The Gungahlin Eagles President, Eoghan O’Byrne, alongside Carey, is delighted to announce the addition of two Brumbies premiership winning players Lachlan McCaffrey and Matt Giteau to the Eagles coaching ranks.
Locky McCaffrey will take the duties of 1st Grade Head Coach and Eagles Academy Coach in 2023. The academy was established in 2020 to enable a smooth transition out of school and into senior rugby and is where Locky will work with aspiring young players to hone their craft and progress their careers.
Locky has 116 professional rugby matches under his belt in Super Rugby, the Premiership, the Championship, and the Japanese Top League. He has returned to Canberra from the USA where he both played and coached at the Austin Gilgronis in Texas, who compete in Major League Rugby.
The back-rower represented Australia at the U20s level and excelled in professional rugby teams London Welsh, Leicester Tigers and the Brumbies. He was a standout performer in the Brumbies 2020 Premiership winning season, and easily one of the best players on the ground in their grand final win against the Queensland Reds.
Matt Giteau will wear multiple hats as the Eagles High-Performance Coach and Skills Coach in 2023. In these roles, Giteau will add world-class experience to the club’s training program and pathway development.
Giteau is one of the most decorated rugby players in Australian rugby. He’s earned 103 Wallabies caps, three rugby world cups, and 265 professional caps at world-renowned clubs Toulon, Brumbies, Western Force, Suntory Sungoliath, and the LA Giltinis.
Giteau will work with the Eagles Seniors Players and also give attention to pathways and developing young players into lifelong clubmen and women.
This exciting news comes after three Eagles won major awards at the 2022 ACTRU MacDougall Medal event; Isaac Crowe – MacDougall Medal, Matthew Hawke – Anderson Trophy for Sportsmanship, Nugget Bowden – Volunteer of the Year.
The club is also thrilled to confirm that Darragh O’Byrne will continue in his role as Women’s Head Coach after an enormous year of growth and positivity for the Premier 15s team.
Angus Stevenson and Peter Altona will assume the roles of 2nd Grade coach and Colts coach respectively. Stu Crew will remain as an Academy Coach alongside Locky, and will continue to be an integral part of the Eagles rugby program after years of hard work establishing the Academy. The remainder of the Eagles coaching roster will be finalised in coming weeks.
The Eagles also look forward to making a return to our home ground, Nicholls Enclosed in 2023, as we celebrate the 20-year reunion of our 2003 John I Dent Cup Premiership, and Matt Hawke’s 200th 1st Grade game.
Gungahlin Eagles President, Eoghan O’Byrne, says the club is in good shape heading into 2023 for multiple reasons.
“This week has injected real optimism and energy into our club for 2023 and beyond. It started on Tuesday with Isaac, Matt and Nugget winning massive ACTRU awards, and it continues now with announcing a stellar coaching lineup”
“We’re excited that Glenn Carey will continue to be a figurehead at the Eagles after everything he’s done for us this year, and as a Life Member and a clubman in every sense of the word, he will provide sound guidance for the new coaching roster”
“Glenn has worked extremely hard this year, and he’s worked even harder to ensure that we head into 2023 as an organised, energised unit”
“Locky McAffrey is someone that we are truly excited to bring into the Eagles family, not just because of his extensive rugby resume, but because of the person he is and what he will do for our environment off the field. He is clearly passionate about people and their development, and he will do wonders for all players and volunteers at the Eagles”
“The Eagles Academy is something we take great pride in and I think Stuart Crew, the first ever Academy Coach who has helped us develop many young players into fine young athletes.”
“Matt Giteau is someone that any club would dream to announce as part of their coaching crew. We’re proud and excited that Gits really enjoyed his time playing with the Eagles in 2020 so much that he’s decided to make a return and give back to club and grassroots rugby in Eagles colours”
“Matt has achieved just about everything in our game, and it can have an incredible influence on a club when you have someone of his calibre around. For young players to see that Matt is a normal, genuine bloke who worked hard at his craft, is really inspiring”
“The next item on the agenda is getting them to find their boots – because they’re telling us they can’t find them anywhere!”
“We’ve got a lot to look forward to next year, and the players are very much central to our planning. I’m confident we’ve taken the right steps to get the Eagles back into finals in every grade”
If you are interested in volunteering or coaching at the Eagles in 2023, contact General Manager Trent Pollard on 0425 326 789.