Cardiff Met’s Gareth Baber appointed Head Coach at Nice Rugby

Cardiff Metropolitan University’s Director of Rugby Systems, Gareth Baber, has been appointed the new Head Coach of French club Nice Rugby. He will take up the full-time position at the end of June 2025, overseeing the senior team and contributing to the development of the club’s Academy and wider performance departments.

The move marks an exciting new chapter in Baber’s distinguished career, following a successful tenure at Cardiff Met where he has played a key role in strengthening the university’s rugby systems, performance teams and student-athlete culture.

Baber joined Cardiff Met in August 2023, bringing with him a remarkable track record of accomplishments as both a coach and a player. Prior to his time in Wales, he was the Assistant Attack and Skills Coach at Edinburgh Rugby and had a globally recognised tenure as Head Coach of Fiji Rugby 7s and Hong Kong Rugby 7s. His leadership of the Fiji 7s team culminated in a historic Olympic Gold Medal at the Tokyo 2020 Games.

During his tenure, the rugby programme has continued to grow with several exciting developments. Cardiff Met has become host to the WRU Player Development Centre – East, the Men’s Programme has had a successful first season in the WRU Community Premiership alongside BUCS Super Rugby. Marking the end of Gareth’s tenure, saw the Women’s team crowned BUCS Super Rugby Champions for the first time. The programme continues to provide a wide range of experiences for students and connections to the community including over 40 student placements students and delivery of coaching within 11 primary and 3 secondary schools.

During his time at Cardiff Met, Baber was also appointed Consultant National Programme Manager for 7s Rugby by Fiji Rugby – a role in which he oversaw both the men’s and women’s national 7s programmes in the lead-up to the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Speaking about his new role in France, Baber said: “I’m incredibly grateful for my time at Cardiff Met. It’s been a role that’s really pushed me to reflect on how to build high-performing teams and create the kind of environment where people can truly thrive, and that’s something I’ll take with me into this next chapter. I’ve built relationships here that I’ll always value. Nice Rugby is an ambitious and exciting project, and I’m looking forward to playing a part in shaping its future. It’s a fantastic opportunity to put my vision into practice in a professional environment, and I’m proud to take this next step.”

Reflecting on the programme, Baber added: “Cardiff Met Rugby is in a strong position. With over 500 student players involved and performance teams competing at the highest levels, we’ve created an environment that supports excellence on and off the field. That legacy is something I’m really proud of. We continue to plan for next season and beyond. I’m excited to see the continued growth and success of Cardiff Met rugby.”

Ben O’Connell, Director of Sport at Cardiff Metropolitan University, paid tribute to Baber’s contribution: “Gareth has made a lasting impact on our rugby programme, our student-athletes, and the culture we’ve built around performance and development. His leadership and vision have helped shape one of the most successful university rugby systems in the UK. We wish him every success at Nice, he’ll always be part of the Cardiff Met Archer.”

Cardiff Met’s proud rugby tradition spans more than 70 years, producing a long list of international players and coaches, including Sir Gareth Edwards, John Devereux, and more recently numerous Six Nations stars such as Aaron Wainwright, Jade Sheckell, Jasmine Joyce Butchers, Tatyana Heard, Alex Dombrandt, Luke Northmore.