Renowned scrum coach Mike Cron will remain with Rugby Australia, as the former Wallabies assistant looks to mentor the front-rowers of the future.
Cron finished up with the national set-up at the end of the Rugby Championship after extending his initial agreement beyond the British & Irish Lions series
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The deal will see the Kiwi great work across the broader Australian system, more specifically, he will mentor up-and-coming coaches, while also working with the next generation of Australian forwards - particularly those in the tight five.
Current ACT Brumbies assistant John Ulugia will replace Cron in the Wallabies set-up, set to tour with the group for the end-of-year Test matches.
“Firstly, on behalf of Rugby Australia, I’d like to thank Mike for what’s been a major contribution to the Wallabies since his appointment in 2024," RA Director of High Performance Peter Horne said in a statement.
“He is a great person who is highly respected by all those involved with the game. We’ve been fortunate to have his services for the past two years and we’re pleased he has agreed to continue to support Australian Rugby moving forward."
Cron indicated his desire to stay within the Australian Rugby system while speaking to the media on the eve of the second Bledisloe Test.
“[If] we can get a conveyor belt going, so if I can get that going and then for a year or two and then hand it over, you know, to the Aussie guys to run and keep it going, you'll have a constant pull or flow of tight five coming through," he said on Friday.
Meanwhile, Ulugia continues his progression after an illustrious career across Australia and France.
The hooker played 50 Super Rugby matches for the NSW Waratahs and ACT Brumbies, along with over 150 appearances in the French Top 14.
Ulugia joined the Brumbies in 2023, having been pulled out of retirement to play for the club in the first two rounds of that season's Super Rugby Pacific.
"John is a highly motivated young coach and his appointment for the End of Year Tour is a great opportunity for him to continue to develop his skills and gain experience at the highest level," Horne believes.
"John has great support from the Brumbies and we appreciate them releasing him to help the Wallabies for the duration of the tour.”
