SYDNEY, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Former Australia and Argentina coach Michael Cheika will return to the New South Wales Waratahs for next year's Super Rugby Pacific season, the club said on Wednesday.
Cheika led the Sydney-based Waratahs to their only Super Rugby title in 2014 before taking charge of the Wallabies, who he took to the final of the 2015 World Cup.
"The NSW Waratahs have always occupied a special place for me," the 59-year-old Sydneysider said in a news release.
"Being involved in the NSW squad that lifted the Super Rugby trophy in 2014 is something I will never forget, especially the passion and energy of our supporters.
"This is a new time, a different time, and I am looking forward to being able to enjoy those same kinds of feelings."
Cheika, who is currently working as an assistant at the Sydney Roosters rugby league club, built his reputation as a coach who can quickly turn around a struggling team and earn trophy success within a few seasons.
The sometimes abrasive former loose forward was the first coach to win both the European Cup, which he achieved with Irish province Leinster in 2009, and Super Rugby titles.
The Waratahs, Australia's best-resourced provincial team, could definitely benefit from his transformational skills after a moribund decade in which their struggles on the pitch have led to declining support.
His predecessor Dan McKellar stepped down in June after the Waratahs finished eighth out of 11 teams in Super Rugby Pacific last season.
Cheika, who has signed for one year with an option for 2028, will be reunited with the halfbacks that helped the Waratahs to their 2014 triumph after flyhalf Bernard Foley and scrumhalf Nick Phipps rejoined the team earlier this month.
"Michael is a proven leader with an exceptional record across many years building and preparing teams to compete on rugby's biggest stages," said Waratahs high-performance director Barrie-Jon Mather.
"His coaching achievements speak for themselves but equally important is his sincere passion for our club and what it represents."
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Saad Sayeed)
