Leicester Tigers have appointed Dan Palmer to the role of Scrum Coach from next season.
The 34-year-old will join Tigers from the Wallabies following the 2023 Rugby World Cup, after recently being appointed to a short-term role within the Australian national side’s coaching team.
Palmer has spent the past three seasons as Scrum Coach for the ACT Brumbies, where he worked with incoming Leicester Tigers Head Coach Dan McKellar.
He also previously worked as part of the coaching team with Japanese club Suntory Sungoliath and Australia ‘A’.
The former international front-rower retired from playing in 2015, which included stints with Super Rugby side’s NSW Waratahs and the Brumbies.
He was capped in 2012 by the Wallabies after previously representing Australia at Under-18, Under-19 and Under-20 age-grade levels.
After retiring from professional rugby, Palmer spent three seasons as a set piece coach with the Brumbies before completing a double degree in Science & Psychology and first class Honours in Neuroscience.
Discussing the appointment of Palmer, incoming Leicester Tigers Head Coach Dan McKellar said: “Dan is a world class scrum coach, who is very detailed and possesses a great understanding of the transfer from what is done within the gym to what is done on the pitch.”
“He is diligent in his planning, both in terms of the system we will build and the match-by-match planning he undertakes for each opposition, which is vital to being as best prepared as we can be.
“While he has been coaching a long time, Dan is also not long retired from playing, in Australia and Europe, and one of his great strengths is in the ability he has to connect with, build trust and earn the respect of the players.”
Speaking about his appointment ahead of next season, Palmer said: “The opportunity to coach quality players in a world-class competition was very appealing to me.”
“I have heard a lot about Mattioli Woods Welford Road and Leicester’s passionate supporter base, which I’m really looking forward to experiencing.
“Dan [McKellar] and I have coached together for a quite a while and I enjoy working with him - he is a detailed and hard-working coach.
“We are very much aligned in how we approach the game and given the strengths of the Leicester team, I think he will be a great fit take the club forward.
“Leicester Tigers prides itself on powerful forward play and strong set piece; we will certainly be looking to emphasise and build on the traditional strengths of the team that have been established over a long period of time.
“I have a huge amount of respect for the Leicester Tigers. I’m very honoured and excited to be joining a club with such a rich history.”
