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Matthew Peet (born 15 April 1984) is an English professional rugby league coach who is the head coach of the Wigan Warriors in the Betfred Super League.[3]

Background

Peet was born in Wigan and played amateur rugby league for many years around the area. After failing to secure a professional contract, he switched his attention studied English at Manchester Metropolitan University. Upon graduation and completion of his degree in 2005, he returned to rugby league focusing on coaching.[3][4][5]

Career

Peet began coaching at amateur level with the senior sides of both Westhoughton Lions and Wigan St Patricks, before joining Wigan in 2008 as a part time Scholarship coach.[3][4][5] Peet went on to hold a number of roles within the club's youth ranks before being appointed to his first full-time position as the club's youth performance coach.[6] In 2013, he was promoted to Head of Youth Performance, a role he would hold until 2018. Wigan's youth sides would win their respective Grand Finals six out of the seven years he was in the role. During this time he also held the dual role of England Rugby League Academy assistant coach from 2013–2016.

In 2018, he switched codes to rugby union, joining the Sale Sharks as High Performance Manager,[7] before returning to Wigan a year later as Assistant Coach to then-Head Coach, Adrian Lam.[8]

Peet as part of the Wigan coaching staff in 2018

On 5 October 2021, following the departure of Lam, Peet was promoted to head coach.[9] On 28 May 2022, in his inaugural season as head coach, Peet coached Wigan to victory in the 2022 Challenge Cup Final over Huddersfield and to second place finish at the end of the 2022 regular season. However, the club did not reach the grand final, losing 20–8 against Leeds in the semi-final. In September 2022, Peet was awarded Super League Coach of the Year at the 2022 Super League Awards.[10]

The following season, Wigan won the League Leaders' Shield after winning 20 games of 27 in regular season; and, on 14 October, Peet coached Wigan to their 2023 Super League Grand Final victory over the Catalans Dragons securing the league title for the first time since 2018 and qualifying for the World Club Challenge.[11]

Peet's Wigan, hosted the match in their opening home game of 2024, winning the match 16–12 over Penrith to win the 2024 World Club Challenge, meaning Peet had won every honour available to him as Wigan coach.[12] Following the game, Sky Sports compared Peet's impact on the club to that of Alex Ferguson, Pep Guardiola and Jürgen Klopp.[5]

On 20 March 2024, Peet signed a new seven-year contract, keeping him at the club until 2030.[13] On 8 June 2024, Peet coached Wigan to victory in the 2024 Challenge Cup final over Warrington.[14]

Honours

As head coach

Wigan Warriors

Individual

  • Super League Coach of the Year

References

  1. ^ Companies House
  2. ^ "Matt Peet". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  3. ^ a b c "Matt Peet". Wigan Warriors. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Matt Peet: Find out more about the man leading Wigan Warriors into their 150th year". www.wigantoday.net. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  5. ^ a b c "How Matt Peet's Wigan Warriors conquered the rugby league world in 66 games". Sky Sports. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  6. ^ "'I absolutely detest it': Wigan Warriors boss Matt Peet desperate to make up for lost time in Challenge Cup final". Yorkshire Post. 26 May 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  7. ^ "SHARKS ANNOUNCE MATTHEW PEET AS HIGH PERFORMANCE MANAGER". 12 December 2018.
  8. ^ "How assistant Peet has added bite to Wigan Warriors' defence". www.wigantoday.net. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  9. ^ "Wigan Warriors appoint England boss to join coaching staff as Lee Briers also joins". www.bbc.co.uk. 5 October 2021. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
  10. ^ "Marshall grabs Challenge Cup glory for Wigan to break Huddersfield hearts". The Guardian. 28 May 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  11. ^ "Wigan Warriors crowned Super League champions after downing Dragons". www.theguardian.com.
  12. ^ "World Club Challenge: Wigan Warriors 16-12 Penrith Panthers - Cherry and Whites crowned world champions for fifth time". BBC Sport. 24 February 2024. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
  13. ^ "Wigan coaching team given new seven-year deals". BBC Sport. 20 March 2024. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  14. ^ "Wigan beat Warrington to win Challenge Cup". www.bbc.co.uk.
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