Former Wallabies coach Michael Cheika is crossing codes to take charge of Lebanon’s rugby league team ahead of next year’s Rugby League World Cup.
Cheika, whose five-year tenure as Wallabies coach ended after last year’s Rugby League World Cup, is the son of Lebanese immigrants.
"It's an unbelievable opportunity for me to do something that represents the land where my parents came from," Cheika told the Daily Telegraph.
The Cedars reached the quarter-finals of the 2017 Rugby League World Cup in 2017 where they almost upset Mate Ma’a Tonga in Christchurch.
"There is something about being Lebanese, you can never put your finger on it. I'm born here (Sydney) but when I went there as an adult the first time we landed in Beirut, I really felt a strong connection to the place."
Cheika is currently a consultant for Argentina, with the Pumas notching their first victory over the All Blacks last weekend.
He has been a part of the coaching staff at the Sydney Roosters in the NRL.
"I'm still ambitious as a coach because I love it, I can't help it," Cheika added.
SHARE ME