SYDNEY – Former Waratah and current Wallaby Coach Michael Cheika has won the 2015 Australia Super Rugby Coach of the Year after guiding the Waratahs to their first ever title in 2014 followed by a semi-final appearance in 2015.
Despite coming under fire often for his coaching style and, at times, his unusual confrontational coaching manner, especially after breaking a door during one Super Rugby match, Cheika has instilled in his teams a hunger that culminated in the Waratahs first Super Rugby title ever in 2014.
The charismatic coach adopted the dual role as provincial and international coach at the end of 2014 after Ewen McKenzie stepped down from the role before Australia’s End of Season Tour in 2014. Despite the move paying dividends after guiding the Waratahs to the semi final and the Wallabies to their first ever Rugby Championship trophy, Cheika has relinquished his Waratahs coaching job to put his entire focus on the Wallabies.
Cheika is well known in the north having guided Leinster to their first ever European title before moving to Stade Francais then down to the Waratahs where he took over in 2013.