ARGENTINA coach Michael Cheika has Rugby World Cup history in his sights.
The 56-year-old took charge of the Pumas in 2022 and is now on the verge of leading them to their first-ever World Cup final.
GettyMichael Cheika worked in fashion before becoming an international rugby coach[/caption]
GettyCheika’s business secured the rights to a jeans brand made famous by Victoria Beckham[/caption]
But before making it as a coach at the highest level, Cheika made a fortune selling jeans.
The Australian worked for leading fashion designer Collette Dinnigan before starting his own multi-million dollar distribution company called Live Fashion.
Cheika’s business then secured the rights to a jeans brand made famous by Victoria Beckham.
The distribution company was a success largely due to Cheika’s ability to speak multiple languages fluently, including Arabic, French and Italian.
Speaking about Cheika in an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald in 2015, his former boss Dinnigan said: “He didn’t tolerate any bull**** and would be firm with business associates that were not delivering, yet he would very elegantly greet all our international fashion buyers in Paris and address them in various languages.”
Despite the success of his business, it didn’t take long for Cheika to return to rugby full-time.
Since retiring as a player he has coached the likes of Leinster, Stade Francais and Australia.
He was appointed as assistant coach of Argentina in 2020 but left the following year to become the director of rugby at Japanese rugby union side Green Rockets.
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The former player returned to Argentina to become coach in March 2022.
And he has managed to lead the Pumas to the Rugby World Cup semi-final.
Argentina face New Zealand in the first semi-final on Friday evening.
After his team defeated Wales in the quarter-final on Saturday, Cheika said: “Pretty happy, I suppose. These players are such good people, without getting too emotional.
“They have worked really hard and I think that hard work showed at the end of the game today. They wanted to fight for it, they wanted to earn it.
“We were behind so it takes a bit of leg work. The whole 23 along with the 10 who didn’t play put in a huge effort.”