Salvin leaves Exeter after one season to join Wales Women as full-time forwards coach

Steve Salvin has left Exeter Chiefs after one season as head coach to join Wales Women’s coaching staff on a full-time basis as forwards coach, the Welsh Rugby Union confirmed.

Salvin guided Exeter to the Premiership Women’s Rugby semi-finals in his sole campaign in charge — their first knockout appearance in a return to that stage — before the Devon club fell 40-38 to eventual champions Saracens. His departure ends a tenure that also included back-to-back PWR Finals appearances in 2022 and 2023, which he helped engineer as an assistant coach under Susie Appleby.

He had already been working with Wales on a part-time basis during the 2026 Guinness Women’s Six Nations, and head coach Sean Lynn moved quickly to secure him permanently. Salvin will now help prepare Wales for their WXV Global Series home fixtures against the USA Women’s Eagles on 18 September and the Springbok Women on 26 September.

“The chance to work at Test match level during the recent W6N campaign was an opportunity that I relished, and to get to do this on a full-time basis is an exciting one,” Salvin said. “We share the same values, work ethic and the same ambition of building a new team identity and playing philosophy. There was so much improvement over the W6N and the players’ desire to learn and improve was a key factor in wanting to do this job on a full-time basis.”

Salvin, who previously coached Rotherham Titans, Leeds Carnegie and Worcester Warriors, added that the passion he encountered in Wales during the Six Nations was a significant draw. “We all share the same goal of building real foundations for sustained success, and we have some really exciting talent coming through the pathway, age-grade sides and the Celtic Challenge.”

Lynn was equally enthusiastic about securing the appointment. “Steve is a coach I knew well and respected from my time in the PWR, but I was really impressed with his technical expertise and how he relates to players in the women’s game,” the Wales head coach said. “He made a real impact in a short time during the recent Six Nations, and I am delighted he will now come on board full-time.”