Warren Gatland is set to leave his role as Wales rugby head coach, Sky News understands.
The 61-year-old was in charge of the national team between 2007 and 2019, before returning to the post in 2022.
He is Wales’s longest-serving head coach and arguably the most successful in the Welsh Rugby Union’s (WRU) history, with a gate at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium renamed “Gatlan’s Gate” in honour of him in 2019.
But pressure has been growing on Gatland amid a record string of defeats for his Welsh side – 14 losses in a row.
The team had a disappointing autumn international series, including losing to Fiji at home in Cardiff for the first time.
The team also suffered the indignity of picking up the wooden spoon in last year’s Six Nations championship for the first time since 2003, and are yet to win a game at this year’s tournament.
Wales failed to score in this year’s opening match, losing to France 43-0, before going on to lose to Italy 22-15 on Saturday.
Gatland returned to Welsh rugby union after succeeding fellow New Zealander Wayne Pivac as Wales head coach.
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He has previously served as head coach for three British and Irish Lions tours in 2013, 2017, and 2021.
In his original stint as Wales head coach, Gatland oversaw four Six Nations victories – including three grand slams, when Wales won every game they played.
Speaking ahead of this year’s Six Nations tournament, Gatland told critics: “Write us off at your peril”.
“I said before the World Cup ‘write us off at your peril’, and I’ll say the same again now. We’ve got to build our confidence, both physical and mental, and prepare properly,” he added.
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In December, Nigel Walker stepped down as the WRU’s executive director of rugby, and said it was “right” that he was “judged on performances on the pitch”.
He said: “Both of our senior teams have found the last 12 months extremely difficult and therefore I believe now is the right time for me to step down”.
The WRU is expected to confirm his departure from the role later today, Sky News and Sky Sports News understands.
