Wales head coach Warren Gatland says he expects a change to be made after the Six Nations if his side continue their record losing streak.
Following an independent review, Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) chief executive Abi Tierney said last month that Gatland’s position had been “on the line” before announcing the New Zealander would remain in charge for the 2025 Six Nations.
Gatland, 61, has presided over the worst run in Wales’ 143-year international rugby history, slumping to a record 12 successive Test match defeats since October 2023.
When asked what motivated him to carry on in his role, Gatland replied: “I’ve been asking myself the same question.
“I had some discussions with the family and spoke about the challenges.
“The questions I was asking myself was, was I at that stage where I needed the negativity in my life or do I just hang up my boots and go to the beach and enjoy myself?”
Wales open their 2025 Six Nations campaign against France in Paris on 31 January and announced their squad on Monday.
Gatland says the January start means a tight turnaround given that the France game will come just two months after Wales’ autumn series finished.
“The other thing too is I think, potentially by leaving now and walking away, what sort of difference or what change was going to [happen]?” added Gatland.
“How would that affect the change in a relatively short period of preparation for anyone else taking over.
“I’m conscious and well aware if things don’t improve, then there’s likely to be a change from the union.
“I’ve been pretty straight up about it, it’s about rising to the challenge, making sure we go out there and perform well.”
