Bob Dwyer

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Bob Dwyer (born 29 November 1940) is a rugby union coach. Educated at Sydney Boys High School, he coached Australia to victory at the 1991 Rugby World Cup.

Dwyer, along with Duncan Hall then moved Leicester Tigers after the game turned professional in 1996. Tigers had immediate success, in 1997 reaching the Heineken Cup final, winning the Pilkington Cup but finished fourth in the league after player burnout stripped many of the key players.

Tigers' coach Chalkie White who had led them through much of the 1980s and was a key part of their success was displaced. Dwyer's harsh attitude to the players led to the them dubbing him "Barbed Wire" and a public spat with one them, Austin Healey ensued. As a result, the club's board decided to replace Dwyer with retiring former club captain Dean Richards assisted by John Wells and Joel Stransky.

In 1998 Dwyer was appointed as head coach of recently relegated Bristol Rugby. Under him the club returned to the Premiership at the first time of asking.^[1] The next season saw Bristol finish sixth in the top flight and narrowly miss out on qualification for the Heineken Cup. In 2000, Dwyer left Bristol after changes to the club's back room staff.^[2] In his time at Bristol Dwyer was a forceful advocate for the club's potential to be the leading light in English rugby, "the potential here is greater than in any other rugby city in England, including Leicester".^[3]

Dwyer returned to Australia and became coach of the then Super 12 side the New South Wales Waratahs.