Force appoint ex-All Black Donnelly as forwards coach

The Western Force are delighted to announce the addition of 15-cap All Blacks lock Tom Donnelly as the Club’s new forwards coach.

Donnelly, 42, joins the Force after spending the past two seasons with fellow Super Rugby Pacific outfit, the Highlanders, as their forwards coach under Clarke Dermody.

He has been NPC side Otago’s head coach since 2020, having previously served as the Club’s assistant coach from 2017, and will join the Force once those commitments conclude in October for the side’s Super Rugby pre-season.

Donnelly also led the New Zealand Under-20s to the 2022 Oceania Championship as head coach, having previously worked as the team’s assistant coach in 2021.

He steps into the role made vacant following Irishman Jimmy Duffy’s return to his homeland at the end of the 2024 season.

Donnelly was a prominent lock during his playing career that included 15 All Blacks caps between 2009 and 2010, along with 98 Super Rugby games across three franchises and 12 seasons.

Rotorua-born Donnelly played for the Blues (2014, 14 games), the Crusaders (2012-2013, 19 games) and the Highlanders (2003-2011, 65 games) and has overseas experience in France with Montpellier (2014-2015, 25 caps) and Bayonne (2016-2017, 14 caps).

Donnelly said: “I’m thrilled about taking on this role. Obviously, the opportunity to keep coaching at Super Rugby level is exciting, but talking with the people at the club, like Goody (general manager of rugby Chris Goodman) and Crono (head coach Simon Cron), the ambition of the club really took me aback.

“They want to be a really competitive club in Super Rugby and while they’re in the building phase, the foundations are now in place which is really exciting about where we can go.”

When asked about what he can bring to the Club, Donnelly added: “Obviously I played professionally for a number of years and coached now for a while, so I’ve worked with a lot of good coaches and in a lot of different environments. All that experience I have I can now bring to the Force.”

Force general manager of rugby Chris Goodman was delighted to secure the well-regarded coach.

“His skillset around lineout and scrums has been a real strength throughout his career and set him apart, as well as his delivery style and his experience as a player at the top level,” Goodman said.

“He’s been with a Highlanders group with a similar age bracket to what we’ve got at the moment, so he relates to the players really well and knows the trajectory we’re on.

“He brings a hard-nosed approach to things. He’s pretty black and white which compliments the coaching staff.

“His long-term aspirations as a coach aligns to our thinking as a club around succession and stability too. We’re thrilled to have him on board.”

Tom Donnelly

1/10/1981

Coaching career: Highlanders forwards coach (2023-2024)

Otago NPC - head coach (2020-)

Otago NPC – assistant coach (2017-2019)

NZ U20s - head coach (2022)

NZ U20s - assistant coach (2021)

Playing career: All Blacks (2009-2010, 15 caps)