Wales coach Cunningham quits after turbulent 2024

Ioan Cunningham is set to leave his role as Wales women head coach after a turbulent year on and off the pitch.

Wales only registered four wins in 11 Tests in 2024, while the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) has admitted serious failings in the way it handled players' contract negotiations over the summer.

The WRU says Cunningham currently remains in post.

Cunningham, 41, has been in the role since 2021 and was due to guide Wales at the 2025 Rugby World Cup in England.

But just like it did with Wayne Pivac in December 2022 before the men's World Cup the following year, Wales are set to lose a head coach less than 12 months before the tournament starts.

The position of WRU executive director of rugby Nigel Walker, who was involved in the contract discussions, remains unclear.

Having previously been with Scarlets and Wales Under-20s, Cunningham first came into the women’s programme as interim boss for the 2021 autumn series before taking the job full-time a month later.

He galvanised the squad after what had been a troubling time amid a scathing internal review into the women’s game, Rowland Phillips’ unexplained departure and the disastrous appointment of Warren Abrahams who lasted only four months.

A fresh start was promised for 2022 with 12 players making history in being awarded the WRU’s first professional contracts.

Results and more contracts followed, with Cunningham guiding Wales to their best Women’s Six Nations finish in 13 years, with statement wins over Ireland and Scotland.

Wales made the quarter-finals at the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand later that year, but disappointedly only picked up one narrow win over Scotland in the opening group game.

But that would be forgotten the following spring, with the 2023 Six Nations undoubtedly the peak of Cunningham’s tenure.

With more than 30 players now on full-time deals, Wales ran in tries for fun with convincing wins over Ireland, Scotland and Italy.

They rose to an all-time high world ranking of sixth and secured their place in the top tier of a new global tournament, WXV1.

But on their return to New Zealand, Wales were given a sobering reminder of the gap that exists between them and the top nations, with defeats to Canada, New Zealand and Australia. Still they insisted they wanted to play the best to be the best.

Then came the dismal 2024 Six Nations, with Wales managing just one win against Italy and earning the dreaded wooden spoon.

They qualified for WXV2 via a play-off with Spain and beat Australia for the first time in their history in a friendly at Rodney Parade as part of their preparations.

But that feat could not be repeated when it mattered in South Africa. Wales were woeful as they were outclassed by the Wallaroos and Italy, before salvaging a win against Japan.

While that was enough to save Cunningham’s job in the short-term, Wales had looked lost all year.

That has been followed by recent revelations surrounding contract talks which involved Cunningham.

In an email seen by the BBC, players had been threatened with withdrawal from WXV2 and, subsequently, next year’s World Cup as talks broke down.

They were also given a three-hour ultimatum to sign or the contracts would be withdrawn.

WRU chairman Richard Collier-Keywood said the situation had likely been a major factor in results on the field.

"There was a lot of stress involved in the process which was unnecessary, and I think the performance was affected," he said.

"People were distracted and that’s our responsibility."

In a results-based business there was no hiding from the fact that Cunningham has a 38% win record with 13 wins and 21 defeats in 34 matches.

Wales have also slipped to 10th in the world rankings, below the likes of USA, Italy, Scotland and Ireland.

But they do have 37 players who subsequently signed full-time contracts in September, making them what the WRU describes as "one of the best paid women’s teams in the world".

Wales now have just over four months to turn things around before the 2025 Women’s Six Nations, during which they will host England at the Principality Stadium in a bid to break the record for a home crowd.

And then, more importantly, just over eight months before the 2025 Rugby World Cup, where Wales have been drawn in Pool B alongside Canada, Scotland and Fiji.