Ben Whitehouse has joined the Wales men’s national squad on a full-time basis as a specialist coach.
In his role within Steve Tandy’s coaching team, Whitehouse will work closely with coaches and players around the principles of law, discipline, decision-making and communication. As a result of his new role, Whitehouse will retire from officiating following Ospreys v Dragons in the BKT United Rugby Championship on Saturday.
Whitehouse started his refereeing career at the age of 19 during the 2009/10 season and quickly made his way through the ranks at the Welsh Rugby Union. Having been appointed for his Pro 12 debut with Connacht v Zebre in November 2014, he went on to referee over 100 matches in the BKT United Rugby Championship – only the third person in the competition’s history to reach the milestone.
During his international career Whitehouse refereed nine Test matches and was appointed as TMO for 60 (43 men’s Tests and 17 women’s) including at Rugby World Cup 2021 and Rugby World Cup 2023 where he was TMO for the Argentina v New Zealand semi-final and the bronze final. Whitehouse has also officiated in the Guinness Men’s and Women’s Six Nations, The Rugby Championship and the Nations Championship.
Tandy said: “Ben’s had a big impact already in his work with us so far this year and it’s great to now make that a more formal role. His knowledge of the game from his experience officiating, not only around the laws but also in terms of communication, is hugely beneficial and we’ll be working hard as a group to continue to build and improve in this area during the next phase of the Nations Championship in November.”
Speaking about his appointment Whitehouse added: “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time so far with Steve, the coaches and players. Rugby has been a huge part of my life since a young age and Wales means everything to me.
“I’m incredibly proud to be joining the team now full-time as a specialist coach. It’s a huge honour to become part of the national squad set up and I’m excited to continue working with the group as we head into our next block of matches this autumn.”
WRU Director of Rugby and Elite Performance Dave Reddin said: “The creation of this role is part of our work to build a clear and aligned Welsh rugby DNA. The specialist technical, tactical and strategic expertise that Ben will continue to provide coaches and players is extremely valuable as we look to accelerate our development in all areas.”