Melbourne, Aug 14 (IANS) Reigning Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) champions Melbourne Renegades on Friday said they have appointed Australian women’s national team assistant coach Gavan Twining as their new head coach.
Twining takes over the reins from Simon Helmot, the championship-winning coach who stepped down in April to pursue overseas coaching opportunities in various franchise leagues. He has been serving in the Australian team since late 2024, and played an instrumental role in the side winning Women’s T20 World Cup this year in England.
At the Renegades, Twining will reunite with star Australian international players, including national skipper Sophie Molineux and leg-spin bowling all-rounder Georgia Wareham. He will join the Renegades camp in Melbourne following Australia’s upcoming series against Bangladesh and New Zealand.
At the end of the WBBL season, Twining will rejoin the Australian team for their future international commitments. “I’m really excited to be joining the Melbourne Renegades and getting to work with this playing group. The Renegades have a strong foundation and a talented squad, and I’m looking forward to helping the players take the next step and build on the success the club has had.
“Having been part of the Australian team’s World Cup campaign, I’m excited to bring those experiences into the Renegades environment and help produce performances that our members and fans can be proud of,” said Twining.
Twining previously served as an assistant to former Sydney Sixers head coach Greg Shipperd across six BBL seasons, which included consecutive title wins in seasons nine and ten. Welcoming the appointment, Renegades General Manager Max Abbott said, “Gavan is an outstanding addition to our WBBL program, bringing World Cup winning experience to our group.
“There’s already a very positive environment within the squad and we felt Gavan was the best person to continue building on that working with the experienced leaders we have in the squad.
“While Gavan completes his Australian commitments, we are really comfortable that Clint McKay can oversee the preparation for the Spring Challenge as coach and ensure we are ready to go for the opening game on October 29.”
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