Bob Dwyer

Who is Bob Dwyer?

Bob Dwyer AM is an Australian rugby union coach.

Educated at Sydney Boys High School, graduating in 1957, where he played 2nd XV for the school where he played alongside former Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks player George Taylforth and St. George Dragons halfback George Evans. He coached Sydney club Randwick to four Sydney championship wins before becoming Australia's national team coach. He coached Australia from 1982–83, and again from 1988. He coached Australia to victory at the 1991 Rugby World Cup.

Dwyer moved to Leicester Tigers after the game turned professional in 1996 and replaced Chalkie White. Tigers had immediate success, in 1997 reaching the Heineken Cup final and winning the Pilkington Cup, but finished fourth in the league. Dwyer's harsh attitude to the players led to the them dubbing him 'Barb Dwyer' and a public spat with one of them, Austin Healey ensued. The club's board decided to replace Dwyer with former club captain Dean Richards.

In 1998 Dwyer was appointed head coach of recently-relegated Bristol Rugby. Under him the club returned to the Premiership at the first time of asking. The next season saw Bristol finish sixth in the top flight and narrowly miss out on qualification for the Heineken Cup. In 2000, Dwyer left Bristol after changes to the club's back room staff. In his time at Bristol Dwyer was a forceful advocate for the club's potential to be the leading light in English rugby, "the potential here is greater than in any other rugby city in England, including Leicester".