Michael Cheika

Cheika is a second-generation Lebanese Australian; his parents immigrated to Australia during the 1950s.

Cheika was a No. 8 who played for Australia at under 21 level.

He played more than 300 games for Randwick, winning the Shute Shield seven times during a period when the Galloping Greens dominated Sydney rugby.

Michael Cheika (born 4 March 1967) is an Australian professional dual-code rugby coach and former player who has been coaching the Argentina national team since 2022.

As a player, Cheika made a mid-career move to Europe in 1989 where he had two seasons in the South of France with Castres Olympique in Division 1, and a season for Paris team Club Athlétique des Sports Généraux (later merged with Stade Français) in Division 2.

He then joined Italian side Rugby Livorno alongside Randwick teammate David Knox from 1992 to 1994.

He represented an Italian Selection XV against the All Blacks in 1993.

Returning to Australia, he captained Randwick from 1997 and 1999, and represented New South Wales on their spring tour of the UK in 1997.

Cheika had never coached before but in 1999 David Campese brought his attention to a coaching job in Italy.

He applied for it and was successful.

Cheika and Knox coached Petrarca Padova through a Heineken Cup campaign which did not yield any wins.

Cheika returned to Sydney in 2001 when his father fell ill.

It was Cheika's first trophy as Leinster coach and Leinster's first since the 2001 Celtic League.

With European coaching experience under his belt he secured the Randwick coaching ticket and guided his old club to a Shute Shield victory in 2004.

In 2005, Cheika replaced Declan Kidney as head coach at Leinster.

Mick Dawson, Leinster's chief executive, described it as a calculated punt.

Kidney had left in contentious circumstances having agreed to a move to rivals Munster before the season's end and Leinster were said to be in disarray.

Cheika brought assistant David Knox, his former teammate, with him to Ireland.

Cheika's first season culminated in a Heineken Cup semi–final against Munster, which Munster won 30–6, on their way to lifting the trophy.

Cheika's second season in charge was a difficult one, as Leinster were knocked out of the Heineken Cup at the quarterfinal stage by London Wasps.

In 07/08 Leinster won the Celtic League trophy with a bonus point 41–8 victory against the Newport Gwent Dragons.

He is the only coach to have won the major rugby club competition in each hemisphere, winning the Heineken Cup with Leinster in 2009 and Super Rugby with the New South Wales Waratahs in 2014.

During his career, Cheika was also head coach at Padova, Randwick and Stade Français.

Leinster recruited Alan Gaffney to the management team as backs coach in the 2009 season, to join Kurt McQuilkin as defence coach and forwards coach Jono Gibbes.

Leinster were unable to retain their Celtic League title, and finished third behind Munster and Edinburgh.

However, Cheika led Leinster to European success, guiding the team to the 2009 Heineken Cup Final.

They became champions after topping their pool by beating London Wasps, Edinburgh and Castres Olympique.

Leinster was seeded sixth and faced Harlequins in the quarterfinal, winning 6–5.

In an all Irish derby at Croke Park against defending champions Munster, Cheika guided the team to a historic 25–6 victory to set up a final against Leicester Tigers.

At Murrayfield Stadium the team secured a 19–16 victory over the Tigers, to clinch Leinster's first ever European title.

In his final season in charge, Cheika led Leinster to top of the table in the revamped 2009–10 Celtic League, with 13 victories from 18 starts.

In the semifinal, Leinster beat Munster 16–6, before losing to the Ospreys 17–12 at home at the RDS.

The team was also unable to retain their European title.

Leinster beat Clermont Auvergne 29–28, however lost to eventual champions Toulouse 26–16.

Cheika left his post with Leinster Rugby at the end of that season to become head coach for French Top 14 side Stade Français.

Cheika was Director of Rugby of the Paris-based club between 2010 and 2012.

It was reported that his time at Stade Français was less successful than at previous clubs.

Off-field conflict and mediocre on-field results made his life difficult, culminating in him being sacked.

Cheika was the coach of the Australia rugby union team from 2014 to 2019.

In 2015, he received the World Rugby Coach of the Year award.