Warren Gatland shows true colours with classy gesture after brutal Six Nations sacking - The Mirror

Wales head coach Warren Gatland left his role following their Six Nations defeat to Italy and it has now been revealed that the 61-year-old has waived a substantial pay-off

Warren Gatland waived a potential six-figure pay-off after agreeing to leave his role as Wales' head coach.

Gatland left Wales this week following his side's 22-15 defeat to Italy in the Six Nations, with Matt Sherratt appointed as his replacement for the remainder of the competition. The 61-year-old has overseen a poor run of results since taking charge for a second time in 2022.

Wales failed to win a single game in 2024, finishing bottom in that year's Six Nations, and they are without a win in 2025 as well having been thrashed 43-0 by France before losing to Italy. And the Telegraph are reporting that Gatland decided his time was up after returning home after the Italy loss.

The reports adds that he has 'waived a substantial pay-off' despite being under contract until the 2027 World Cup, with the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) only having to pay him until the end of the current season.

"The agreement I and the WRU reached on Monday, I can confirm there was no settlement with Warren," WRU chief executive Abi Tierney said. "It was by mutual agreement. No [pay-off]. He said he felt it was in the best interests for Welsh rugby for him to go.

"I think he's always put Welsh rugby first and that was his main driving factor. He gave me no sense he'd had enough but when he no longer felt it was the right time for him to be in post, then it was the right time for him to go."

Sherratt, meanwhile, has said he will not be putting his name forward to replace Gatland on a permanent basis and will instead return to his role as head coach of Cardiff. "It is going to be very difficult to change a huge amount technically and tactically in what will probably be three or four sessions before we play Ireland," Sherratt said.

"I am probably at the stage of my career when it's important to me that people want to come and enjoy watching a team play – not at the expense of losing, that's really important – but I want players to go out and be brave, and if there is a 50-50 on then take a brave option.

"I was sat on my sofa at eight o'clock last night and Huw's (WRU interim performance director Huw Bevan) name came up on my phone. I can't repeat what I said when I saw his name come up. To have the opportunity to be senior coach of a fantastic rugby nation and a group of players and staff I know pretty well is something I couldn't turn down.

"It was a surprise. And there is obviously a harder side to this with someone of a class coach like Warren, who has given so much to Welsh rugby. It will be until the end of the Six Nations. I've signed a contract with Cardiff. Cardiff is my first head coach job."

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