1999 World Cup winner Nathan Grey joins USA coaching staff for Nations Cup

Nathan Grey, the former Wallaby centre who won the Rugby World Cup with Australia in 1999, has been named as USA’s new defence coach ahead of the World Rugby Nations Cup, taking over a role previously held by ex-England No.8 Nick Easter.

Grey brings considerable pedigree to the Men’s Eagles’ backroom staff. The 35-cap Wallaby was also part of the Australia squad that reached the 2003 World Cup final and played in the victorious 2001 British & Irish Lions series. His coaching career, which spans close to 16 years, began after he finished playing in Japan and returned to Australia in 2010 as skills coach of the Melbourne Rebels.

He subsequently spent three years as an assistant with the Waratahs before stepping up into the Wallabies’ coaching group. After departing the national setup in 2019, Grey remained embedded in Australian rugby through roles with the National Academy and as head coach of the Wallabies U20s. He also served as technical advisor to the now-defunct Sunwolves and, more recently, as an assistant with Suntory in Japan. For the past nine months he has been director of rugby at Manly Sea Eagles.

Grey joins Sharks coach David Williams as a new addition to Lawrence’s staff. Williams has previously worked at Kobe Steelers, London Irish, Bath and the Southern Kings. Lawrence’s full complement of assistants now includes Agustin Cavalieri (forwards), Blake Bradford (scrum), Steve Brett (attack/kicking), Williams and Grey.

USA open their Nations Cup campaign against Portugal at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park in Denver, Colorado, on Saturday 4 July. A first-ever meeting with Zimbabwe follows a week later in Charlotte, before the Men’s Eagles conclude the tournament against Spain at WakeMed Soccer Park in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Saturday 18 July.