HARLEQUINS DIRECTOR OF rugby Billy Millard is set to join Connacht ahead of next season in a high-level rugby management role.
Australia native Millard – who previously had a two-year stint as Connacht’s backs coach and is married to a Galway woman – has already confirmed that he will leave Harlequins this summer and The 42 understands that he has been lined up to bring his experience to Connacht.
Millard has been with Harlequins since 2018 and was a key figure in the English club winning the Premiership title in 2021.
The Aussie is now set to join Connacht in a role that will seemingly involve him overseeing the western province’s rugby pathways in both the men’s and women’s game.
Connacht are keen to produce a steady flow of homegrown players into their senior sides, with Millard set to manage that project and other long-term, high-level rugby matters within the province.
As things stand, it’s not expected that Millard will have a hands-on matchday role with Connacht and it’s believed his arrival will not have a direct impact on the senior coaching staff.
Head coach Pete Wilkins is currently on sick leave, but he is contracted in that role with Connacht and the IRFU through until 2026. It’s understood that the plan is for Wilkins to return to his job as head coach whenever possible.
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Australian coach Rod Seib, currently with the Brumbies, will join Connacht ahead of next season as their new senior assistant coach, taking charge of the province’s attack as Mark Sexton moves on to Ulster.
Connacht scrum and contact coach Colm Tucker – now temporarily in charge with Wilkins on sick leave – and forwards coach John Muldoon are staying beyond this summer.
Defence coach Scott Fardy is set to leave Connacht, with Wilkins expected to take full responsibility for that area of the province’s game.
It seems that Millard’s role will be distinct to the senior Connacht rugby coaching staff, although his duties will naturally feed into their work as the province aim to have as many top-class homegrown players as possible.
Millard pictured in 2011 during his first spell with Connacht. James Crombie
James Crombie
Millard first made his name as a coach when guiding Sydney University to back-to-back New South Wales Premiership titles in 2005 and 2006 before he led the Melbourne Rebels to second place in the one-off Australian Rugby Championship in 2007.
He also coached the Australia 7s team and took up his first role in Europe when he joined Cardiff as backs/attack coach in 2009.
Two years later, Millard joined Connacht as backs coach and worked under Eric Elwood. The Australian’s coaching was well received and he is said to have had a good influence on young backs like Robbie Henshaw and Kieran Marmion.
Millard was mentioned as a possible successor to Elwood as Connacht head coach in 2013 but he departed at that stage, joining USA Rugby as general manager.
In 2015, Millard re-joined Cardiff for a two-season spell as the Welsh region’s general manager – that role focusing on recruitment, player retention, controlling rugby budgets, and representing the club at WRU level – before resigning from the post to move back to Galway with his family in 2017.
Harlequins brought Millard into the club as their general manager in 2018, with his title changing to director of rugby performance in 2021 – meaning more direct work with the club’s rugby coaches – and then to director of rugby in 2023.
Throughout what will have been a seven-year period with Quins, Millard has overseen both the men’s and women’s programmes at the club, something which Connacht seemingly believe makes him ideally suited to his new role with the province.
Millard has been credited as a major influence in creating a positive culture that players and coaches alike have raved about, as well as helping them to their Premiership title and other achievements.
As he confirmed a difficult decision to leave Quins at the end of this season, Millard said he was “in a position to take on a new challenge in my rugby career, whilst spending time on a family project.”
It seems that the next chapter in his career will see him return to Connacht as the western province look to build from the ground up in the coming years.
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Connacht set to bring experienced Billy Millard into new role
HARLEQUINS DIRECTOR OF rugby Billy Millard is set to join Connacht ahead of next season in a high-level rugby management role.
Australia native Millard – who previously had a two-year stint as Connacht’s backs coach and is married to a Galway woman – has already confirmed that he will leave Harlequins this summer and The 42 understands that he has been lined up to bring his experience to Connacht.
Millard has been with Harlequins since 2018 and was a key figure in the English club winning the Premiership title in 2021.
The Aussie is now set to join Connacht in a role that will seemingly involve him overseeing the western province’s rugby pathways in both the men’s and women’s game.
Connacht are keen to produce a steady flow of homegrown players into their senior sides, with Millard set to manage that project and other long-term, high-level rugby matters within the province.
As things stand, it’s not expected that Millard will have a hands-on matchday role with Connacht and it’s believed his arrival will not have a direct impact on the senior coaching staff.
Head coach Pete Wilkins is currently on sick leave, but he is contracted in that role with Connacht and the IRFU through until 2026. It’s understood that the plan is for Wilkins to return to his job as head coach whenever possible.
Australian coach Rod Seib, currently with the Brumbies, will join Connacht ahead of next season as their new senior assistant coach, taking charge of the province’s attack as Mark Sexton moves on to Ulster.
Connacht scrum and contact coach Colm Tucker – now temporarily in charge with Wilkins on sick leave – and forwards coach John Muldoon are staying beyond this summer.
Defence coach Scott Fardy is set to leave Connacht, with Wilkins expected to take full responsibility for that area of the province’s game.
It seems that Millard’s role will be distinct to the senior Connacht rugby coaching staff, although his duties will naturally feed into their work as the province aim to have as many top-class homegrown players as possible.
Millard first made his name as a coach when guiding Sydney University to back-to-back New South Wales Premiership titles in 2005 and 2006 before he led the Melbourne Rebels to second place in the one-off Australian Rugby Championship in 2007.
He also coached the Australia 7s team and took up his first role in Europe when he joined Cardiff as backs/attack coach in 2009.
Two years later, Millard joined Connacht as backs coach and worked under Eric Elwood. The Australian’s coaching was well received and he is said to have had a good influence on young backs like Robbie Henshaw and Kieran Marmion.
Millard was mentioned as a possible successor to Elwood as Connacht head coach in 2013 but he departed at that stage, joining USA Rugby as general manager.
In 2015, Millard re-joined Cardiff for a two-season spell as the Welsh region’s general manager – that role focusing on recruitment, player retention, controlling rugby budgets, and representing the club at WRU level – before resigning from the post to move back to Galway with his family in 2017.
Harlequins brought Millard into the club as their general manager in 2018, with his title changing to director of rugby performance in 2021 – meaning more direct work with the club’s rugby coaches – and then to director of rugby in 2023.
Throughout what will have been a seven-year period with Quins, Millard has overseen both the men’s and women’s programmes at the club, something which Connacht seemingly believe makes him ideally suited to his new role with the province.
Millard has been credited as a major influence in creating a positive culture that players and coaches alike have raved about, as well as helping them to their Premiership title and other achievements.
As he confirmed a difficult decision to leave Quins at the end of this season, Millard said he was “in a position to take on a new challenge in my rugby career, whilst spending time on a family project.”
It seems that the next chapter in his career will see him return to Connacht as the western province look to build from the ground up in the coming years.
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