Rugby Coach Weekly

Send us a textIn this short podcast, Dan speaks to Gary Townsend, head of rugby at Switch Rugby with a focus on developing young players, coaches and clubs. He is former RFU National Player Development Manager and Bristol Bears Junior Academy manager.In this episode, they discuss what players want from your coaching sessions. To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach WeeklyAlso, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!

Send us a textWelcome to the Coaching Knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Jason Gilmore, Waratahs Senior Assistant Coach (Defence) and Australia A head coach.Note! He was with the Waratahs when we recorded this. He is now defence coach with Harlequins.Focusing on defence, we are going to cut to the root of who is the most important player in ruck defence.Previously, Jason worked for Queensland Rugby as Elite Development Head Coach Assistant Coach and Junior Wallabies coach, as well as four years in teaching as a 1st XV head coachPhilosophyCreate better men and players You can contact him on LinkedInTo find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach WeeklyAlso, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!

Send us a textDan speaks to Tom Morris from Progressive Rugby, an independent player welfare lobby group founded in 2021 to drive change that both better protects player brain health and the game’s long-term future.In this episode, they discuss:Separate strategies to make rugby safer and more appealing at both the community and professional levelImproving education and the need for a concussion communication system in youth rugbyHelping young players understand the benefits of learning proper tackle techniqueImplementing a community of care in grassroots rugby and sharing best practiceWhether the age when contact is introduced in youth rugby should be adjustedThe importance of attracting and maintaining players in the community game To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach WeeklyAlso, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!

Dan chats with Sean Phelan, creator of Fill Your Boots, connecting players and clubs for rugby games. They discuss the struggles clubs face in finding players, ways to grow the women's game, and retaining volunteers. Check out Fill Your Boots website for free connections!

Kris Stafford, a Rugby Development Officer and U.K Coaching award winner, joins the discussion about effective coaching strategies. He emphasizes the importance of valuing players and engaging with them personally. The conversation dives into creating supportive environments, using the STEP model for practice design, and balancing player guidance with autonomy. Kris shares insights on enhancing player huddles and leveraging all coaches in sessions, making game-based coaching an essential part of player development.

Gary Townsend, head of rugby at Switch Rugby and former RFU National Player Development Manager, shares his insights on nurturing young talent in rugby. He emphasizes the importance of skill development over immediate team success for U12 players. Gary discusses effective coaching strategies, including fostering confidence, acknowledging off-the-ball efforts, and implementing peer feedback in practice. He also highlights the significance of patience and verbal reinforcement in teaching essential skills like tackling and the catch-pass technique. A must-listen for aspiring coaches!

Send us a textWelcome to the coaching knife when we cut to the root of the matter. In this episode, we speak to Callum Adam, Currie RFC Senior Mens Assistant Coach and Edinburgh University Women’s 2nd XV Head Coach.Focusing on defence we are going to cut to the root on what comes first, tackling or defenceAs well as coaching with Currie Mens and the Edinburgh Uni women, Callum has coached with the Scottish Rugby Union with their age grade development teams, plus a stint at Dundee RFC.His philosophy: To make a difference in people's lives on/off the pitch.You can contact him on: LinkedIn Callum AdamTo find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach WeeklyAlso, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!

Send us a textDan welcomes Dr Kimberly Berens, founder of Fit Learning  and CEO of Fit Learning Online and author of Blind Spots: Why Students Fail and the Science That Can Save Them.Fit Learning is a powerful system of instruction based in behavioural science and the Technology of Teaching, and it aims to transform the learning abilities of children, which it does in the US, Canada, Europe and Australia.To find out more about Fit Learning, go to: http://fitlearningonline.com/In the podcast, they discuss:How Kimberly found watching her son's experience of being coached filled her with horrorHow there's too much talk and not enough practiceWhy measuring progress is vitalThe key to learning through reinforcementThe huge variability in the learning processSimple methods of counting to help check individual progress and what you need to do next when you know the resultsWhat you need to master and whyHow to differentiate across a larger groupHelping parents help their children to "work harder" without becoming too bossy To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach WeeklyAlso, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!

Send us a textDan quizzes the Myths of Sports Coaching editors around how we deal with some of the muddling thinking coaches believe is true.Dr Amy Whitehead is an Associate Professor at Liverpool John Moores University, and Jenny Coe is the Performance Well-Being Lead for the Women's Professional Game at the FA.Their first edition was so good that they’ve been persuaded to do a second edition, which will be out in the autumn. In the book, they invited experts to delve into myths about learning styles, deliberate practice, coaching women differently, and fundamental movement.Here's a link to the first edition on Amazon.In this episode, we talk about:What are the most pervasive myths in sports coaching?Is coaching girls any different to coaching boys?How do you approach a coach who is hung up on something you know is a myth?At what stage do you stop discussing, check and challenging as a group, and start making hard and fast decisions?How much evidence does there need to be until a “finding” becomes a myth?Should we use SMART goals?How do we discern the research validity from authors who have a vested interest in continually proving they are right?How evidence from verbal answers needs to be looked at carefully, because interpretation can easily not be what the respondent first meant. To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach WeeklyAlso, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!

Send us a textDan chats to Telegraph sports journalist Fi Tomas about where women’s rugby needs to go next. Fi has worked on the paper since 2019, was number 11 on 2023 BBC Women's Hour Power List and recently nominated for the 2023 British Sports Journalism women’s category. She is a keen advocate for a stronger voice in female sports.In the podcast, they look at:Why women want to play rugbyThe hurdles facing women in sportHow the media portrays women in sportWhat needs to be addressed in terms of language and attracting a broader audienceThe issues that rugby faces, from male-dominated spaces to the role of governing bodiesHow sports should appeal to a new generation, and why commentators need to ensure they help grow the game To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach WeeklyAlso, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!