Harlequins confirms key coaching appointments

Harlequins is pleased to announce three significant appointments to its rugby programme. Robbie Deans is appointed Performance Director, Jason Gilmore Head Coach and Rob Hunter Forwards Coach.

All three appointments are the result of a thorough recruitment process and will strengthen our rugby performance programme to deliver sustained success on our ambition to compete at the highest level.

Robbie Deans, Performance Director.

Deans joins Harlequins following a varied and successful career, both as a player and as a coach, and is renowned as one of the game's sharpest rugby minds. At an international level, he was the All Blacks’ Assistant Coach and was the Wallabies’ first non-Australian Head Coach. At Club level, he led the Crusaders to five Super Rugby titles as Head Coach, and more recently won five Japanese national titles with the Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights.

Deans will join the Board of Harlequins as Performance Director, initially until the end of the 2027/28 season. He will take a holistic view of the programme and work closely with Head Coach Jason Gilmore and General Manager Andrew Sanger MBE to create an environment for long-term success in all departments across our performance programme, with a focus on playing identity, talent development and club culture.

Set to visit Harlequins for a period in April 2026 prior to starting in July 2026, Deans will spend extended periods here in the UK at critical points throughout the season. He will be fully involved in the Harlequins rugby programme and will be engaged with us when not physically in the UK.

We are delighted that Robbie has agreed to join us and welcome the extensive experience and insights he brings with him.

On his appointment, Deans said: “Harlequins is a proud club with a strong history and it is a privilege to be asked to contribute towards the future. There are many good people within their ranks and I look forward to working with them.”

Jason Gilmore, Head Coach.

Jason Gilmore has been appointed Head Coach of Harlequins, after serving as Senior Coach on an interim basis since taking charge of the programme, at very short notice, at the start of the 2025/26 season. Gilmore originally joined Harlequins in 2024 as Defence Coach before stepping up to Senior Coach. Jason will now build on the work he has started across the rugby programme over the past eight months.

Gilmore has previous Head Coach experience, having led Australia A, Australia Under-20s and the Barbarians as well as holding the roles of Head Coach, Assistant Coach and Defence Coach at the NSW Waratahs and Queensland Reds.

“I am genuinely excited about the challenge ahead and what we can achieve at Harlequins,” said Gilmore.

“This is a Club with a proud identity and history built on playing ambitious, exciting rugby whilst challenging convention. Our job now is to reconnect with those foundations and rebuild a style of play that both reflects who we are and makes our supporters proud.

“There’s a significant amount of work to be done, but that’s what makes this such an exciting opportunity. We’re committed to building the right environment, the right standards, and the right squad to take this Club forward.

“Having Robbie come on board is such a positive addition to our Club.  The guidance and support he will provide me personally as well as our coaching and playing group will be invaluable. 

“To our supporters, we genuinely appreciate the backing we’ve received through a tough year. We’ll need that continued support, because returning Harlequins to where it belongs will take a collective effort - but it’s one we’re fully committed to.”

Rob Hunter, Forwards Coach.

Rob Hunter will join Harlequins as Forwards Coach in July 2026. The former Exeter Chiefs Forwards and Head Coach will bring with him a wealth of experience accumulated over more than a decade with the Chiefs.

He joined the Chiefs in 2013 and played an instrumental role in some of the club's most celebrated moments including five PREM finals and two league titles. The crowning achievement of his time with the Chiefs came in 2020, when his meticulous work with their forwards helped Exeter complete a historic double, lifting both the PREM and European Champions Cup titles in the same season.

At Harlequins, Hunter will look to bring that same culture of physicality, discipline and individual development to a forward pack with enormous potential.

“I’m absolutely delighted to be joining Harlequins - it’s a club with such a rich history and identity,” said Hunter. “Harlequins has the perfect DNA for the modern game. The foundations are here and that genuinely excites me. Of course, there's real work ahead to bring all of that together and I’m looking forward to working with the coaching team to do that.

“I’m coming back into the PREM refreshed and hungry to make a difference - not just for the club, but for the whole Quins community. I can't wait to get started and meet the players, staff and supporters who make the Club what it is.”

On these three key appointments, Harlequins Chief Executive Laurie Dalrymple said: "Robbie brings over 25 years of elite level coaching experience and a proven track record of building sustained success. He played an integral role in establishing the foundations of the Crusaders' dominance in Super Rugby, has operated successfully at international level and, most recently, built the Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights in Japan from the ground up. We are looking to his experience, aligned with Jason, who has been in the club for the past two seasons, that will be fundamental to driving an improvement in our on-field performances next season.  Looking further ahead, Robbie is a specialist in high-performance strategy and structure required for long-term success and we believe he, alongside Jason as Head Coach, can make a lasting impact on our environment and results.

“At Harlequins, he will take a holistic view of the programme to ensure we are set up for long-term success alongside and mentoring the coaching group, supporting players individually as required, and acting as a check and challenge to both the board and coaching team. We are also fully aligned on the key pillars of a successful high-performance environment - developing a clear playing style aligned with the Club’s DNA, nurturing homegrown talent, and building a strong culture and sense of connection within the environment.

“Jason is someone we see as having all the credentials to lead our coaching group and playing squad for the long-term. He has worked tremendously hard under challenging circumstances this season and he possesses a high rugby IQ, a strong understanding of the Harlequins identity, and has built a positive culture within the first team group. We’re focused on providing him with the support for success both now and in the seasons ahead and we will continue to review the performance programme. We are also actively seeking an Assistant Defence Coach to bolster his coaching group and allow Jason to focus on leading the squad, with support from Robbie and Andrew Sanger MBE.

“In Rob, we are recruiting a coach with exceptional experience, and he is a proven winner. The titles won at Exeter speak for themselves. We believe he is going to help maximise the ability and robustness of our pack and give us the platform to play the style of rugby synonymous with Harlequins. He has also previously been involved in the England pathway, so he has a real eye for talent. Rob will work closely with Matt Ferguson and Adam Jones to develop the promising young forwards coming through our player pathway.