Waratahs warn staff to brace for 'wake-up call' as Cheika returns to restore glory

Michael Cheika will return to the NSW Waratahs as head coach in November, with the club’s high-performance manager BJ Mather warning players and staff to expect a demanding culture shift from a coach who tolerates nothing short of sustained excellence.

Mather unveiled Cheika’s appointment for the 2027 Super Rugby Pacific season — with an option for at least one further year — describing the 56-year-old as someone who is “not here for a sugar hit.” The announcement comes after three consecutive seasons without a Super Rugby Pacific finals appearance and a decade of underachievement since Cheika’s first stint at the club ended.

“He’s a proven winner and has a really good track record of success,” Mather said. “He’s got some fairly firm beliefs in how the game is played and what success looks like, and that’s what we really want from him.”

Cheika led the Waratahs to their only Super Rugby title in 2014 and has since added European Cup success with Leinster, a historic World Cup semi-final appearance with Argentina in 2023, and, as an assistant to Trent Robinson at the Sydney Roosters, a contribution to the NRL club’s push for this year’s minor premiership.

Mather was candid about the adjustment some of the squad’s younger players may face. “He’s very clear on how he wants things done, and it might be a little bit of a wake-up call for some of us in terms of how we do things,” he said. “But that track record of success buys you that ability to do that.”

Cheika’s well-documented desire for full control will be tested by the Waratahs’ position under Rugby Australia’s governance structure, though Mather indicated the boundaries have already been communicated. “All head coaches want full control. But like most things, there’s limits to what that full control actually looks like. We’re working within a structure with RA and Michael knows exactly what he’s coming into.”

The Waratahs are also hoping the appointment marks the beginning of genuine coaching continuity. Mather noted that the club has cycled through 12 head coaches in the past 25 years, contrasting that instability with the Crusaders’ sustained dominance under roughly four coaches in the same period. “We need to start building some longevity in our coaching team and our coaching structures,” he said.

The composition of Cheika’s assistant coaching staff remains unresolved, with the status of confirmed Super Rugby AU coach Lachie McCaffrey also unclear. “The structure below Michael and what he wants in the assistant coaches — that’s a process for the next couple of weeks to iron out,” Mather said.