NSW Waratahs fires coach Rob Penney on site after start of nightmare of 2021 season

NSW Waratahs coach Rob Penney has been fired.

The veteran mentor received the news Sunday after a meeting of senior officials Sunday morning resulted in the immediate termination of Penney’s contract.

Penney was less than two seasons away from the three-year contract he signed in late 2019, but the Waratahs made the decision to drop him after Saturday’s 46-14 beating at the hands of the Queensland Reds.

The Waratahs have not won in five games this year and sit at the bottom of the Aussie Super Rugby table.

The Sydney Morning Herald first reported the news of Penney’s passing before a club statement confirmed the news Sunday night.

The report states that Penney and the Waratahs reached an agreement for the early termination of their contract.

“This is devastating news for him,” said NSW Rugby CEO Paul Doorn.

“To his credit, in many ways based on conversations we’ve had previously up to this point, it was not a dramatic surprise.

“He is bitterly disappointed that he cannot continue fighting with the team he has. He appreciates the logic of the organization to make the decisions that are made.”

Doorn said in a club statement confirming the termination of the contract: “The decision to part ways with Penney was not made lightly.

“Coaching the NSW Waratahs is one of the most prominent and high-pressure roles in Australian rugby.

“Rob is extremely professional and has put a lot of effort into the role. However, the performances on the field this season have not lived up to expectations and we believe that, in the best interest of the Waratahs, now is the time to make a change.”

Doorn and the club’s high-performance committee, made up of board members, made the cool decision Sunday morning and passed the information on to Penney immediately.

NSW assistant coaches Chris Whitaker and Jason Gilmore have been named interim coaches for the remainder of the season.

The Waratahs will now begin an extensive coach recruitment drive to have a new mentor in place by the start of the 2022 preseason.