David Nucifora appointed in performance advisory role

Dublin , Ireland - 14 December 2023; Outgoing Irish Rugby Football Union High Performance Director David Nucifora addresses members of the press during a media conference at the IRFU High Performance Centre on the Sport Ireland Campus in Dublin. (Photo By David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

David Nucifora was Performance Director for the IRFU over a ten-year period from June 2014, which saw Ireland’s men’s team top the World Rugby rankings and win four Six Nations Championships, including two Grand Slams. Ireland Women secured the Six Nations title in 2015 also. His tenure concluded with Ireland’s 7s teams qualifying for, and competing in, the 2024 Paris Olympics.

David’s remit will be to drive change in all areas of our development structure to ensure we nurture Scotland’s best male and female talent. David is contracted for two years during which time he will also advise the Scottish Rugby Limited board on the appointment of a permanent Performance Director.

Scottish Rugby Limited Chair, John McGuigan, said: “I’m delighted David has agreed to join Scottish Rugby at a time of fundamental change in the sport. To ensure we can compete at the highest level we need someone of David’s experience to design and implement, at pace, a structure that supports our best talent. David’s success with the IRFU speaks for itself and we now look forward to his expertise being applied to the development of rugby in Scotland.”

Speaking on his appointment, David Nucifora said: “I’m really looking forward to joining the team at Scottish Rugby. I’m well aware of the ambition Scotland has as a rugby nation and the desire to nurture talent to ensure we can compete at the highest level over the long term. To ensure this ambition can be realised we will design and implement a structure which supports high performance outcomes.”

A former hooker for Queensland Reds, David was twice capped for the Wallabies, including being part of its 1991 Rugby World Cup winning squad.

After his playing career David coached the ACT Brumbies from 2002, becoming the first Australian coach to reach three successive Super 12 series finals, winning the title in 2004. He was also named Australian Coach of the year in 2002, 2003 and 2004. He moved to the Auckland Blues in 2005 as a technical advisor and performance manager before being appointed head coach, a role he held until 2009.

From there David was appointed General Manager of the Australian Rugby Union High Performance Unit in 2009 and coached the Junior Wallabies in the Junior World Championships that year.

He joined the IRFU as High-Performance Director in June 2014, a role he has held since then until announcing in late 2023 his intention to move on to new projects this summer.