Quick Facts
Biography
Eric Elwood is a former Irish rugby union player from Galway. He played for Ireland internationally, and provincially for Connacht. After retiring from playing, Elwood served as assistant coach for Connacht and coach of the Ireland U20s, before becoming Connacht head coach in 2010. Elwood held this position until his decision to resign at the end of the 2012-13 season.
Playing career
When Elwood was first capped for Ireland, he was playing for Lansdowne, but he later returned to Galwegians, the club of his youth. While playing for Connacht Elwood made 168 appearances and scored a record 318 points in the Celtic League. His number of appearances for Connacht was the record until November 2009, when Michael Swift overtook him.
Elwood played 35 times for Ireland and scored a total of 296 points. This total places Elwood at number four in the all time points scorers for Ireland. He also participated in two Rugby World Cups, in the 1995 tournament which took place in South Africa, and 1999's tournament, in France. He made his last appearance for Ireland coming on as a substitute in their play-off loss to Argentina at the 1999 World Cup in Lens.
Elwood also made an appearance for the Barbarians, playing against the All Blacks at Cardiff Arms Park in 1993. The Barbarians lost the game 12–25. Elwood scored all of the Barbarians' points, converting four penalties.
Elwood also played Gaelic Football for Galway, and soccer for Joe O'Boyle Rovers.
Coaching career
Following retirement from playing for Connacht, Elwood worked as an assistant coach for the province. Elwood was coach to the Ireland Under-20 for a time in 2006 and 2007. He coached the team to a grand slam in the 2006-07 Six Nation Under 20s Championship.
Elwood took over from Michael Bradley as director of coaching at Connacht following the end of the 2009-10 season. Elwood was in charge of Connacht for their Heineken Cup appearance in the 2011–12 competition, thanks to Leinster winning the 2011 Heineken Cup Final Connacht lost their first five matches in the pool stages, claiming losing bonuses in both of their ties with Gloucester. In the final game of their pool, however, they managed an upset, beating Harlequins 9-8 in the Galway Sportsgrounds, which prevented the Premiership club from topping the group, and knocked them down into the Amlin Cup.
He also coached the team in the 2012-13 Heineken Cup, with the team winning three of their pool matches. The victories came in the home and away ties with newly formed Italian professional team Zebre, along with a victory at home to 2009-10 finalists and 2011–12 Challenge Cup winners Biarritz. In October 2012, Elwood had announced he would be departing as Connacht coach at the end of the 2012-13 season, and he was succeeded as coach by former Samoa international and Auckland Blues head coach, Pat Lam.