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Stephen Meehan is an Australian professional rugby union football coach. He is currently the Head Coach of Canada. Meehan has coached in the Top 14 in France, Super Rugby in Australia, and the Top League in Japan. He led English club Bath to win the European Challenge Cup in 2008. Meehan was head coach of the Queensland Country team for the inaugural season of Australia's National Rugby Championship in 2014.

Early life

Stephen Meehan grew up in Brisbane, the second youngest of six. He attended Marist College Ashgrove in the 1980s, along with brothers Bryan, Kevin and David. The college, which also produced John Eales and Matthew Hayden, was a hothouse of ideas on running rugby. The first team was coached by former Wallaby centre Barry Honan and his mantra – "running and passing as opposed to kicking" – was a major influence on Meehan's ideas about rugby.

Coaching

Meehan began his coaching career in Queensland in 1999, working variously as Queensland Reds Under 19 selector, head coach of the Brisbane representative team, Combined States Under 19 backs coach, and head coach of the Brisbane Cyclone team when they became the East Coast Series champions.

France Top-16 and England Premiership

From July 2002 he worked as Assistant Coach (Backs and Skills) at Stade Français, first under Head Coach Nick Mallett and from 2004–05 with Fabien Galthié. During his tenure, Stade reached the Final of the French Championship three years running, winning the 2002–03 and 2003–04 Top 16, and losing in extra time to Biarritz Olympique in 2004–05. Stade Français were also finalists in the 2005 Heineken Cup.

Meehan joined Bath as the new backs coach in June 2006, before being temporarily promoted to head coach in August 2006. His role was made permanent in December 2006 and he went on to lead the club to their first silverware in 10 years, when Bath won the European Challenge Cup in 2008. In October 2009, Meehan signed a contract extension, to keep him at Bath until 2012. However, following the appointment of Sir Ian McGeechan as director of rugby at the club in 2010, and his subsequent assumption of responsibility for coaching, Meehan and the club reached an agreement whereby he would leave at the end of the 2010/11 season

Super Rugby and NRC

Returning to Australia, Meehan joined the Western Force coaching staff in October 2012, as attack coach under Michael Foley for the 2013 Super Rugby season. At the end of 2013, Meehan signed with the Queensland Reds as attack coach for the 2014 Super Rugby season. He was appointed as head coach of the Queensland Country team for the inaugural season of Australia's National Rugby Championship in 2014.

France Top-14 and Japan Top League

Meehan joined Toulon as an assistant coach for the 2015–16 season of the Top 14 in France.

He joined Japanese Top League side, the Kintetsu Liners, as Backs Coach under Head Coach Akira Tsuboi in 2017–18,

Global Rapid Rugby and QPR

Meehan joined the Western Force as Defence Coach for the 2019 Global Rapid Rugby season, before being appointed as Director of Rugby for Queensland Premier Rugby club GPS.

Canada

Meehan joined MLR side, the Toronto Arrows, as Head Coach in October 2023, replacing Peter Smith. However, the team was disbanded due to financial reasons and did not compete in the 2024 season.

Meehan was appointed as Head Coach for the national team of Canada in December 2024.

References

1. Kitson, Robert (21 February 2009). "Meehan's pass masters give Bath style and substance". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 6 August 2014. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
2. "Bath set to sign Bulls star Hape". Bath Rugby. 26 May 2008. Archived from the original on 29 May 2008. Retrieved 26 May 2008.
3. "Meehan joins Bath coaching team". BBC News. 27 June 2006. Archived from the original on 24 October 2007. Retrieved 10 October 2009.
4. "Bath promote Meehan to head coach". BBC News. 2 August 2006. Archived from the original on 29 April 2011. Retrieved 10 October 2009.
5. Mairs, Gavin (12 October 2009). "Steve Meehan signs two-deal Bath contract extension". London: Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 November 2012. Retrieved 12 October 2009.
6. "Head coach Steve Meehan to leave Bath at end of season". BBC News. 29 March 2011. Archived from the original on 1 April 2011. Retrieved 4 April 2012.
7. "Steve Meehan joins Western Force coaching staff". espn.com.au. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
8. Hamilton, Tom (25 July 2013). "Meehan and Force go separate ways". ESPN SCrum. Archived from the original on 23 August 2013. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
9. "Queensland Reds appoint Steve Meehan as attack coach". ABC. 1 October 2013. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
10. "NRC update part 1: Queensland, Perth, Melbourne and Canberra". The Roar. 8 July 2014. Archived from the original on 8 July 2014. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
11. Hamilton, Tom (11 May 2015). "Former Bath coach Steve Meehan to join Toulon". ESPN SCrum. Archived from the original on 13 June 2015. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
12. "Top League Profiles 2017-18: Kintetsu Liners".
13. "Force announce new defence coach". westernforce.rugby.
14. "Welcome Steve Meehan". Retrieved 20 December 2024.
15. "Stephen Meehan Appointed Toronto Arrows Head Coach". Toronto Arrows. Archived from the original on 11 November 2023. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
16. "Toronto Arrows forced to fold after 5 seasons in MLR". Americas Rugby News. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
17. "Steve Meehan to be next head coach of Canada's men's rugby team". Rugby Canada. Archived from the original on 20 December 2024. Retrieved 20 December 2024.

External links

• Profile, ESPN Scrum

• Living people
• Australian rugby union players
• Australian rugby union coaches
• 1966 births
• Rugby union players from Brisbane
• People educated at Marist College Ashgrove