Stephen Aboud will rejoin the Italian Rugby Federation (FIR), three years after he stepped down from his position Head of Technical Direction for the development of players and coaches. He is expected to take up his new role in July.
The Dubliner has spent the last two years working with Rugby Canada as the High Performance Director, a responsibility he will continue to discharge until May.
Aboud joined FIR in 2016 and spent six years – he resigned in 2022 – working very successfully on developing the age-grade playing and coaching structures, while also assisting when required at Benetton and Zebre. He oversaw notable improvement in the performance and results of Italy’s underage teams from Under-18 to Under-20 levels.
This included age-grade victories over Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales teams as well as improved performances in later years prior to the pandemic in the Junior World Championships. In his last season in Italy, the Under 20 team beat England in the Six Nations for the first time in their history.
Young players like current captain Michele Lamaro, Paolo Garbisi, Jacopo Trulla, Gianmarco Lucchesi, Leonardo Marin, Niccolo Cannone and Tommaso Menoncello quickly graduated to the senior ranks under his watch.
Aboud had previously enjoyed a 26-year career with the IRFU which included several roles including creating and running the IRFU Academy programme, while subsequently designing a coaching pathway from fledgling coaches to those who coached in international rugby.
He spent the last seven years in the union as Head of Technical Direction before in 2016 agreeing to move to Italy.
