Andy Friend
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Use Australian English|date=April 2012}}
{{Infobox rugby biography
| name = Andy Friend
| fullname = Andrew Friend
| image = Andy Friend.jpg
| nickname =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1969|4|24|df=y}}
| ru_position = Full-back
| ru_currentposition = Head Coach of Connacht
| amatyears1 =
| amatteam1 =
| years1 =
| clubs1 =
| apps1 =
| points1 =
| provinceyears1 = 1989–1991
| province1 = Australian Capital Territory
| provinceapps1 =
| provincepoints1 =
| repyears1 = 1986–1987
| repteam1 = Australian Schoolboys
| repcaps1 =
| reppoints1 =
| coachyears1 = 2005–2008
| coachyears2 = 2008–2011
| coachyears3 = 2012–2014
| coachyears4 = 2014–2016
| coachyears5 = 2016–2018
| coachyears6 = 2018–pres.
| coachteams1 = Harlequins
| coachteams2 = Brumbies
| coachteams3 = Canon Eagles
| coachteams4 = Suntory Sungoliath
| coachteams5 = {{nrut7|Australia}}
| coachteams6 = Connacht
}}
Andrew Friend (born 24 April 1969) is an Australian rugby union coach and former player. He completed his most recent post as Director of Rugby for Irish province Connacht at the end of the 2022/23 URC season. He was previously head coach of the Australia Sevens team, the Brumbies in Super Rugby, English club Harlequins, and Canon Eagles and Suntory Sungoliath in the Japanese Top League.
{{toc level|3}}
Playing career
Friend was selected in the Australia Schoolboys rugby team for 1986–87 before going on to play provincial rugby for the ACT Kookaburras. His position of choice was full-back.{{cite web|url=http://www.brumbies.com.au/act.rugby/page/53906 |title=Friend appointed CA Brumbies Head Coach |publisher=Brumbies |date=15 April 2008 |access-date=2008-04-17 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080721023524/http://www.brumbies.com.au/act.rugby/page/53906 |archive-date=21 July 2008}}
Club coaching
Friend began his coaching career within an Australian Institute of Sport rugby programme in 1995. He held assistant coaching positions at the New South Wales Waratahs and the Brumbies. He was also the Brumbies skills coach under Eddie Jones.
In the summer of 2005, Friend joined English Premiership team Harlequins as head coach. Following the conclusion of the 2007-08 season, he signed a three-year contract with the Canberra-based Brumbies side.
He took over from Laurie Fisher as head coach at the Super Rugby club. After completing two full seasons in charge, Friend has his contract terminated in March 2011 following a loss to the Melbourne Rebels and rumours of player discontent. He was the third coach to either be fired or not have their contract renewed by the ACT Brumbies board. After helping out as a trainer for various Canberra high school teams, Friend went to Japan in 2012 and became the head coach at Canon Eagles for two seasons. He was head coach of Suntory Sungoliath from 2014 to 2016.
Friend was appointed as the head coach of Pro14 side Connacht on a three-year deal in May 2018.{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/connacht-rugby/andy-friend-confirmed-as-new-connacht-head-coach-36942358.html |work=Irish Independent |title=Andy Friend confirmed as new Connacht head coach |date=24 May 2018 |access-date=24 May 2018}}
Inaugural inductee to University of Canberra Sport Walk of Fame in 2022.{{Cite web |date=18 November 2022 |title=Walk of Fame Members |url=https://www.canberra.edu.au/on-campus/sport/sport-walk-of-fame/inductees |access-date=18 November 2022 |website=University of Canberra}}
International coaching
Friend guided the Australian Under-21 team to the final of the 2005 World Championships. He worked within the Wallabies setup for the 2002 Tri Nations Series and 2003 Rugby World Cup. He was appointed as head coach of the Australian Sevens team in 2016.
Charity bike ride
Following an accident in 2010 when his wife, Kerri Rawlings, came off her bike and suffered a serious brain injury, Andy Friend undertook a 5000 km journey from Cooktown to Canberra to raise awareness and money for Acquired Brain Injury. This was to support Brain Injury Australia and Outward Bound. The journey was successful, with his wife as part of the support crew, and was completed in late November 2011.
References
{{reflist|colwidth=25em|refs=
|date = 5 January 2016
|title = Andy Friend appointed Qantas Australian Men's Sevens coach
|website = ARU
|access-date = 5 January 2016
|url = http://www.rugby.com.au/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1699/ArticleID/17239/Andy-Friend-appointed-Qantas-Australian-Mens-Sevens-coach.aspx
|archive-url = https://archive.today/20240527162552/https://www.webcitation.org/6eIiEOCo5?url=http://www.rugby.com.au/DesktopModules/PackFlashPublish/ArticleDetail/ArticleDetailPrint.aspx%3FArticleID=17239&Template=Standard_Print.ascx&siteID=1
|archive-date = 27 May 2024
|url-status = dead
|df = dmy-all
}}
|url=http://www.quins.co.uk/newspage.ink?nid=38911&newstype=n&matchid=&Refid=
|title=Harlequins' Andy Friend named as Head Coach for ACT Brumbies
|publisher=Quins
|date=15 April 2008
|access-date=2008-04-17
}}{{dead link|date=October 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
|url=http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12546_3424499,00.html
|title=Friend set to boss Brumbies|publisher=Sky Sports|date=16 April 2008
|access-date=2008-04-17}}
|url=http://www.quins.co.uk/CoachDisplay.ink?skip=4&season=2007/2008&Playertype=c
|title=Andy Friend|publisher=Quins|date=17 April 2008
|access-date=2008-04-17}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/my_club/harlequins/7347964.stm
|title=Quins lose Friend to ACT Brumbies|publisher=BBC|date=15 April 2008
|access-date=2008-04-17}}
|url=http://www.sportinglife.com/rugbyunion/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=rugby/08/04/15/RUGBYU_Harlequins.html
|title=Friend to leave Quins
|publisher=Sportinglife
|date=15 April 2008
|access-date=2008-04-17
|url-status=dead
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605004520/http://www.sportinglife.com/rugbyunion/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=rugby%2F08%2F04%2F15%2FRUGBYU_Harlequins.html
|archive-date=5 June 2011
}}
|url=http://www.guinnesspremiership.com/254_23705.php|title=Quins' Friend gets Brumbies role
|publisher=Guinness Premiership|date=15 April 2008
|access-date=2008-04-17}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}
|url=http://www.rugbyheaven.com.au/news/super14/brumbies-to-name-new-coach/2008/04/15/1208025151394.html
|title=Andy Friend new Brumbies coach|publisher=Rugby Heaven|date=15 April 2008
|access-date=2008-04-17}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}
|url=http://news.smh.com.au/friend-appointed-new-brumbies-coach/20080415-266z.html
|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121231044436/http://news.smh.com.au/friend-appointed-new-brumbies-coach/20080415-266z.html
|url-status=dead
|archive-date=31 December 2012
|title=Friend appointed new Brumbies coach
|publisher=The Sydney Morning Herald
|date=15 April 2008
|access-date=2008-04-17
}}
|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/04/15/sports/AS-SPT-RUGU-Brumbies-Coach.php
|title=Super 14: Andy Friend named coach of ACT Brumbies|publisher=International Herald Tribune|date=15 April 2008
|access-date=2008-04-17}}
|url=http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,23541493-5002381,00.html
|title=Brumbies to confirm Friend's appointment|publisher=Fox Sports|date=15 April 2008
|access-date=2008-04-17}}
|date = 27 October 2011
|title = Wife inspires 5000km ride
|first = Callum
|last = Bentley
|website = The Chronicle
|access-date = 5 January 2016
|url = http://www.thechronicle.com.au/news/wife-inspires-5000km-ride/1152749/
|url-status = live
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304194324/http://www.thechronicle.com.au/news/wife-inspires-5000km-ride/1152749/
|archive-date = 4 March 2016
|df = dmy
}}
}}
External links
- [http://www.quins.co.uk/CoachDisplay.ink?skip=4&season=2007/2008&Playertype=c Harlequins profile]{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
{{Australia 2016 Summer Olympics Squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Friend, Andy}}
Category:Australian rugby union players
Category:Australian rugby union coaches
Category:Olympic coaches for Australia
Category:Coaches of international rugby sevens teams
Category:Connacht Rugby non-playing staff
Category:People educated at Canberra Grammar School
Category:Rugby union players from Canberra
Category:Australian expatriate rugby union players in England