Bowring became Wales’ first full-time head coach in 1995 and was succeeded by Graham Henry in 1998, before joining the RFU where he held a number of senior positions until retiring as Head of Professional Coach Development in June last year.
His appointment to the Welsh Rugby Union as a ‘coach development consultant’ will see him working with the respective head and assistant coaches at the elite end of the game at the four Welsh regions.
“Kevin’s appointment is a major coup for Welsh rugby, he is one of the top individuals in the specialised field of elite coaching in the world game,” said WRU chief executive Martyn Phillips.
“He has already started work visiting the coaching teams at each of our four regions and his expertise and experience will be an invaluable asset to our high performance department.
“A key priority for us in the year ahead is to work even more closely with the regions to identify and execute a long-term strategy for the professional game.
“Development at every level is a major priority for us and an integral part of the WRU’s strategy for the future.
“We are concentrating additional investment into coaching and referee development at all levels, ensuring the community strategy is executed to safeguard amateur rugby, communities and the clubs all over Wales, the lifeblood of our game.
“We are also focussed and working hard with the regions to reset the model for the professional game in Wales.
“We are converging on a model whereby we will increase our investment and focus on the player and coach pathway and succession and Kevin’s contributions will form an important part of this strategy.
“We want to be a nation where we have a continuous supply of talent into our national teams in both the men’s and women’s games.”
Bowring joins the WRU performance department headed up by Geraint John, which was recently boosted by the appointment of Peter Drewett as a performance coach manager.
“We are delighted to be able to welcome Kevin back home to Wales,” said John.
“As the first Wales coach of the professional era Kevin has an intimate knowledge of the coaching landscape in Wales and his time at the RFU means he can also bring a global perspective to elite coach development at our regions.
“We look forward to reaping the benefits of his expertise in the seasons ahead.”
