Bradford, England, United Kingdom
I’m a performance sport leader with a background in rugby, where I’ve grown programmes, coached athletes to international level, and built global recruitment networks. Over time, I’ve taken those lessons beyond one sport — mentoring coaches across disciplines, designing performance curricula, and consulting with academies to create environments where young people thrive. At Leeds Beckett University, I grew rugby participation by 130% while creating a clear pathway from community to elite performance. I’ve since led international recruitment (expanding Hong Kong partnerships from 1 to 7 schools in a year), delivered landmark international tours, and supported student-athletes from the UK, Europe, the US, and Asia. Whether mentoring staff, teaching on undergraduate coaching degrees, or building elite pathways, my goal is always the same: to develop people, not just performance. 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: UK Coaching Moment of the Year (2018) Built and managed multi-sport, multi-disciplinary staff teams Designed high-performance development curricula used by academies and universities Host of The Big Breakdown podcast, sharing insights from world-class coaches and leaders I’m now focused on senior leadership roles in sport and education — particularly where I can connect performance, participation, and character development on a global scale.
- Talent Development and curriculum lead. Ensure there is a clear pathway for players into the 1st XV and BUCS Super Rugby. - Lead international recruitment for rugby, and offer for scholarships to high performing students. - Build partnerships with schools and colleges worldwide to promote university for rugby players at Leeds Beckett University. - Coach the 1st and 2nd XV and lead the 2nd XV on match days. - Work collaboratively with colleagues at University of Leeds, Leeds Trinity University and other HE providers to plan, co-ordinate and deliver the RFU University objectives. - Creating and managing formalised links with rugby clubs across the city to provide rugby opportunities for students - Bringing players back into the sport and encouraging new participants. - Increasing the number of players, coaches and officials. - Support graduating students with their next step post university in terms of finding a new rugby club to keep playing. - Promote and stage volunteer coach and referee programmes to extend the rugby union workforce. - Recruit, train and mentor volunteers, with the support of the Sport Volunteering Coordinator, to help run and deliver on Rugby participation activities.
- Tutoring seminars and teaching practical sessions. - Delivering content and undertaking research as directed by the module leader. - Observing, analysing, and providing feedback to students on their practical performance. - Marking written assignments against marking criteria.
• Facilitating competency based courses. • Conducting one to one reviews with coaches to support learning. • Delivering dynamic, creative, and empowering courses • Empowering coaches to alter their coaching approach to focus on player development rather than results.
• Recruiting and retaining players, coaches, and volunteers and delivering coaching sessions to a range of abilities, ages and group sizes. • Positively communicating with key stakeholders to achieve results and meet targets. • Maintaining quality standards and reinforcing the five core values of rugby union (Teamwork, Respect, Enjoyment, Discipline, and Sportsmanship). • Understanding and plan coaching sessions around RFU methodology/techniques. • Developing club action plans to give focus for member development.
Head coach at Old Otliensians RUFC. Responsibilities: - Create a playing framework to underpin the coach and training sessions delivered - Plan, Deliver, and Review a 12 month rugby program which targets every player at the club - To manage the coaching team of 3 and ensure everyone understands their role and responsibility - Work with players on 1-2-1 basis and provide them with feedback and actions throughout the season 2017-18 Achievements: National Junior Vase Winners - May, 2018 Northern Division Yorkshire 2 Runners up - April, 2018 2017/18 Played: 30 games Won - 27 Lost - 3
• Delivered high quality, player focused coaching to achieve results. • Gained a strong understanding of emotional intelligence its impact on performance. • Managed four coaches and ensured that philosophies were mirrored to create maximum value for both the players and the club. • Created and used player profiles to provide feedback.
Deliver high quality sessions to prepare the team to achieve results on match days. • Strong understanding of emotional intelligence and how this can impact on the team’s performance. • Dynamic, imaginative, flexible, varied, and positive approach to coaching sessions, ensuring they are player focused. Strive for myself, and players, to be better all the time. • Create and use player profiles to provide feedback. • Use psychometric testing to get feedback from players and their honest opinions of the development of the team. • Able to be self-starting and committed to this role, whilst still performing my job at the Rugby Football Union.