Former Wales coach Howley to rebuild career with Canada

NEWS: Rob Howley will begin rebuilding his coaching career with Canada after being appointed senior assistant to Canucks boss Kingsley Jones.

The three-year deal that encompasses the 2023 World Cup will also see Howley work as a consultant for the Toronto Arrows for the 2021 Major League Rugby season.

It is the former British and Irish Lions scrumhalf's first post since serving an 18-month ban - with nine months suspended - for betting on rugby matches.

Howley was forced to leave the Wales camp during the 2019 World Cup and suspended last December after admitting to breaching World Rugby anti-corruption and betting regulations, having placed 363 bets on the sport.

"I'm absolutely delighted to be joining Rugby Canada and begin working alongside Kingsley Jones and the other Canadian coaches," Howley said.

"I'm excited to get to work and help prepare Canada for World Cup qualification. I am also looking forward to my first season in MLR with the Toronto Arrows.

"There is a tremendous opportunity to leverage the synergy of a professional club loaded with domestic players in an emerging league to help support the national team. It's very similar to my past experience coaching in Wales."

Canada are ranked 23rd in the rugby world rankings and have won just one game at a World Cup since 2003.

As a player Howley won 59 Wales caps and made two Lions tours before he embarked on a series of successful coaching roles with Wales and the Lions.