Holmes, who takes over from Steve Commander, won the first of his 25 Wales caps against Australia in 1978 and played in the triple crown winning side of 1979. Scoring nine tries for Wales, he also represented the British and Irish Lions on their 1980 tour to South Africa and 1983 tour to New Zealand.
In 1985, he signed for Bradford Northern and played 40 games. Following his retirement from rugby league, he went on to coach Cardiff and Caerphilly rugby union teams.
Speaking at the Millennium Stadium, Terry said: “I am delighted to take on this role and eagerly anticipating the exciting challenge of coaching the team. As the current world champions of deaf rugby, I’ll be looking to further develop their potential and build upon the successes of recent seasons.”
Team Manager Geraint John, said: “This is wonderful news for the development of deaf rugby in Wales. It’s a fantastic opportunity for the players to work alongside such a highly respected person who has achieved so much in the game and made a huge contribution to Welsh rugby.”
He continued: “As a proud Welshman and with his knowledge and skills gained throughout his career, both as a player and a coach, we are confident that we have the right man to lead us forward on the field.”
Wales are the present Deaf Rugby World Champions having defeated New Zealand at the inaugural 2002 World Cup in Eden Park, Auckland. Players representing the team have an average hearing loss of 25dB across both ears
