• Richie Walker finishes his contract with Auckland Rugby with a Farah Palmer Cup Final and Semi-Final appearance over two seasons.
• Advertisements are now open for the Head Coach of the Auckland Storm.

Auckland Rugby would like to thank Richie Walker for his direction and knowledge during his time as Head coach of the Auckland Storm team.

Walker, who currently lives in San Diego, California has stepped down from the role to spend time with his wife and new-born baby before taking on another international coaching role.

Walker adds to his already impressive resume of Head Coach of the USA’s Women’s 7s side, USA Women’s Youth Olympic team, and an assistant with the USA Women’s 15s side.

Walker came on as Head Coach of the Auckland Storm in 2019, leading the Storm to a Farah Palmer Cup Final in his first year and a Semi-Final in the following season. Walker finishes his time with the Auckland Storm with 13 wins and 6 losses with the flagship women’s team.

Walker said it was an honour to be part of such a proud union.

“I want to thank the Auckland Rugby Union for everything you did for me and giving me an opportunity.

I want to thank the great staff we had and the dedication and time they put in and how much effort was put in to make things run smoothly.

To all the players who were involved and made sacrifices and the time they put in made it so much fun to be part of”.

Auckland Rugby CEO, Jarrod Bear expressed his appreciation for what Walker brought to the head coaching role.

“I would like to thank Richie for his passion and hard mahi he gave to our Auckland Storm team and supporting Auckland Rugby’s commitment to providing well-resourced High-Performance pathways and environments for female athletes.”

Head of High Performance, Ben Meyer praised Walker for his knowledge and professionalism he brought to the job.

“It was an honour to have Richie involved with the Auckland Storm over the last two years. Making a Final in his first year and a Semi-Final in 2020 is something to be proud of and we wish him all the best with his future endeavours”.

Auckland Rugby has begun advertising for the head coaching role of the Auckland Storm for the 2021 Farah Palmer Cup season set to start in July.

Applicants can express their interest in the Head Coach role HERE.