Shaun Edwards joins Argentina as defence coach until after the 2027 World Cup

Shaun Edwards has signed a contract with Argentina as defence coach, keeping him with the team until after the 2027 World Cup in Australia. The agreement ends any possibility of him joining England’s men’s coaching team under Steve Borthwick. Aged 59, Edwards will work with the Pumas during their Nations Championship Tests in Europe in November, then throughout 2027 until the end of the tournament. Edwards’s current work alongside John Mitchell’s Red Roses is set to continue beyond the WXV Global Series’ October 30 conclusion.

Edwards’s arrival in Argentina comes alongside Mario Ledesma’s return as Pumas forwards coach. Ledesma was previously the team’s head coach from 2018 to 2022. Across Edwards’s 25-year coaching career, Argentina will be his fifth role, following the Red Roses, Wasps, Wales and France.

Argentina head coach Felipe Contepomi praised the international experience of the two new arrivals: “Mario and Shaun arrive at Los Pumas with enormous international experience.” Edwards said he was “thrilled to be joining Felipe Contepomi, his coaching staff, and the Argentinian team”.

Earlier this year, Edwards was removed from his role as France defence coach. He had been part of France’s Six Nations title-winning campaigns in 2022, including the Grand Slam, and in 2025 and 2026. Before that, from 2008 to 2019, he worked alongside Warren Gatland in the Wales setup, winning Six Nations titles in 2008, 2012, 2013 and 2019.