Two years on from departing the helm at Connacht Rugby, Andy Friend finds himself back in the Australian capital of Canberra. The demanding, all-consuming world of professional rugby coaching is behind him, replaced by a new pursuit: mentoring leaders across the sporting and business landscapes. Yet, despite the geographical distance and the shift in focus, his connection to the west of Ireland and the unique province he guided for five seasons remains vividly strong.
Those who encountered Friend during his tenure in Galway – from the players and staff to the fans and local media – consistently describe a man of genuine warmth and approachability. He was a breath of fresh air, open, communicative, and unfailingly respectful. This wasn`t a facade; it was simply Andy Friend. His actions, even in a casual cafe setting in Canberra where he might instinctively help clear a table, speak volumes about his character. For five years, he and his wife, Kerry, were happy residents of Galway, integrating deeply into the community beyond the rugby pitch.
A Special Connection to the West
Their return to Australia was driven by family – the arrival of grandchildren necessitated being closer to their sons. But the bonds forged in Ireland endure. Friend speaks with palpable affection for the people of the west.
“There was a special energy about the connection with the people in the west of Ireland,” Friend notes. “To live up there, you have to be a certain type of person. And they are my type of people. There is an authenticity about them. I like their mindset of `we`ll find a way to get it done`.”
While he consciously stepped back from daily contact with Connacht staff in the summer of 2024 to allow everyone to move forward, his dedication as a fan hasn`t waned. Despite the inconvenient time difference that sees Connacht matches kick off in the early hours in Canberra, Friend is invariably awake, tracking the score, or watching the crucial moments if the game is tight. He doesn`t miss the relentless routine and constant demands of the head coach role, but the club clearly still holds a significant piece of his heart.
The Demands of the Game and Family Fortitude
Friend`s professional coaching journey spanned 29 years across Australia, England, Japan, and Ireland, involving a staggering 21 moves. This itinerant lifestyle takes a toll, particularly on family. He reflects candidly on the sacrifices.
“I was lucky that my wife is still with me and I`ve got good relationships with my children,” he states. “Because it`s a brutal game.”
He recounts an early, stark warning: at his very first coaching job, an employee, upon meeting his wife and two-week-old son, predicted an 80% divorce rate for coaches within three years. Fifteen years later, the same woman encountered them again, acknowledging, “I remember. You`re in the 20%.” Friend credits constant dialogue, a patient wife, and forgiving sons for navigating these challenges. It`s why, when he signed his final contract with Connacht in 2021, he knew it would be his last coaching role.
Before settling back into life as grandparents, Andy and Kerry embarked on a leisurely six-month tour of Europe, shedding the rigid schedules of coaching life for a more spontaneous rhythm of cycling, sightseeing, and importantly, backgammon accompanied by a glass of wine or beer by 5 pm.
Performance Friend: Sharing the Accumulated Wisdom
The return home didn`t mean retirement, merely a redirection. A comprehensive analysis of his work by the IRFU before his departure highlighted the value of his extensive knowledge and experience. Discussions with coaching expert Roddy Coyle further solidified the idea of pursuing mentorship and consultancy. Thus, “Performance Friend” was born. Without formal advertising, word-of-mouth referrals quickly brought clients calling.
His client list is diverse, ranging from the head coach of USA Rugby and the coaching staff of the Australia Women`s Sevens team to specialists in sports like rowing and water polo, World Rugby referees, and other rugby coaches. His expertise isn`t limited to the sporting arena; he also advises businesses.
“The most important thing in coaching and mentoring is contact,” Friend explains. “You have to have a connection with the people you are working with. To get that you have to be a good listener, be open, sincere and have a real interest.”
Building that connection was a cornerstone of his success at Connacht, and it`s clear he intends to rekindle some of those in-person connections, with plans already afoot for a visit back to Ireland in December 2026.
Connacht`s Enduring Identity: The Weather and “Carty`s Corner”
Friend takes pride in Connacht`s progress during his tenure, particularly seeing players like Mack Hansen, Finlay Bealham (both Canberra natives), and Bundee Aki achieve international acclaim and British & Irish Lions selection. He views reaching the URC semi-final in his final season as a significant on-field achievement. More broadly, he cherishes the identity Connacht cultivated – becoming a team renowned for being incredibly difficult to defeat.
“The fans appreciate that,” he says. “They don`t expect you to win everything, but they want to see you fight to the death. By and large, I think we got there. I always believed that if we were within two scores with 10 minutes to go, we could still win it. I liked that no matter what the battle was, we knew we were going to fight. We weren`t afraid of it.”
He is genuinely excited about the club`s new training centre and the impending stadium renovations, seeing them as signs of positive momentum under Stuart Lancaster. However, he offers a poignant, almost technical, word of caution. He hopes the state-of-the-art indoor facilities don`t lead the team to neglect training outdoors, forgetting the unique advantage forged in the wind and rain that makes Galway a formidable challenge for visiting sides.
“We must remain the best Northern Hemisphere side in those conditions, because that`s who we are,” Friend insists. “That`s what breaks opposition teams at the Sportsground. I used to call it `Carty`s Corner` – that bottom right-hand corner of the pitch. We`ll put you down there because you can`t get out of it. But we can, because we play in that chaos all the time. I`m glad they have the centre now, but it needs to be used wisely. It shouldn`t become a crutch to say, `We won`t train in the rain today`. No, that`s what makes you who you are.”
Leaving the cafe after the conversation, watching him warmly greet a passing acquaintance from the rugby world, the lasting impression is clear: Andy Friend, the gentleman coach, has transitioned his skills to a new domain, but the core values and genuine connections that defined his time at Connacht remain firmly intact.
