Warren Gatland concerned for longevity of rugby coaches

Wales head coach Warren Gatland fears rugby could be going down the same road as football when it comes to sacking coaches in an effort to get instant success.

Gatland has coached Wales since 2007 and took charge of his 100th game in the team's 37-27 defeat by Ireland in the Six Nations Championships last week.

His long reign is in stark contrast to the English Premier League, where eight of the division's 20 teams have changed managers this season.

"The thing with rugby at the moment is that there is definitely an element of football coming into it," Gatland is quoted as saying by The Telegraph. "It's nowhere near as bad compared to the amount of changes you see in football.

"The longevity of a coach there is pretty limited. It's 12 months if you're lucky, maybe longer.

"Rugby is going down the same road now."

Jim Mallinder, Steve Tandy and Les Kiss have left Premiership side Northampton Saints and Pro14 teams Ospreys and Ulster respectively this campaign, while South Africa sacked Allister Coetzee and France fired Guy Noves.

"There are a lot of teams at the moment looking for coaches for next year," Gatland added. "There are seven or eight club sides or international teams looking right now.

"I've got no doubt, maybe it won't be to the same extent, but that there could potentially be a merry-go-round of coaches in rugby as there is in football."

Wales host Italy in their next Six Nations fixture on March 11.