WORLD XV SQUAD: MAY/JUNE 2006

Bob Dwyer was educated at Sydney Boys High School. He coached Australia to victory at the 1991 Rugby World Cup. Dwyer, moved to Leicester Tigers after the game turned professional in 1996. Tigers had immediate success reaching the Heineken Cup final In 1997, and winning the Pilkington Cup. In 1998, Dwyer returned to Australia and became coach of the then Super 12 side the New South Wales Waratahs. Bob is a founding partner and Managing Director of a Sydney-based promotions and events management company.

Mike Ruddock led Wales to their first Grand Slam title in 27 years in 2005. He was appointed Welsh coach in March 2004. Between 1991 and 1997 he coached Swansea, taking them to the Heineken League title in 1992 and 1994 and the Welsh Cup in 1995. In 1992, Swansea scored a 21-6 win over beat Australia. He was Leinster’s Director of Coaching from 1997-2000 and also coached Gwent Dragons in 2003/2004.

A Wasps player since 2001, Craig Dowd was appointed the team’s forwards coach for the 2005/2006 season. Dowd, was an outstanding prop for Auckland, the Blues and the All Blacks in the mid to late 1990s, invaluable because of his ability to handle either side of the scrum even if his first preference was to be a loosehead. From 1995 through the 1999 World Cup he was usually an automatic test selection and he formed with his Auckland team-mates Sean Fitzpatrick and Brown. He was capped 60 times for the All Blacks.